《Get to Know Your Ex-Girlfriend》 CH 1 The Escape 01 Xin Lan thought that she had never been defeated in her life, but frowned as she looked at the display in front of her that showed a failed mission. How could I have failed? What do you think? Breathlessly, Zero Nine dragged her tired body out from behind her and leaned back on the couch. Nine-nine, I think Im doing quite well. Host, dont talk to me yet, let me take a breather. Zero Nine pushed up the frames of his glasses and began to sort through the data from this mission. Having taken two hosts, Xin Lan was the third one she took, giving her the biggest shock in the history of Unified Life. She was transferred from a different department. She heard that she was in the villain department and there were too many people there, so she was reassigned to their face-slapping department as a great employee. Zero Nine took over and excitedly took her into her first world, and not even a day later she was popped out, showing that the mission had failed. Her entire system was dumbfounded. It was not that Xin Lan had done a bad job, but it was just too too dazzling. Host, next time lets be a little more gentle, shall we? I thought I was doing a good job of meeting the departments purpose and mission requirements, I just didnt think that piece of crap was that fragile. Xin Lan also sat down on the sofa and said very helplessly. The purpose of the face-slapping department is to bring the scum to their knees in tears and make all those who despise the original owner fall to their knees and sing their congratulations. The first world Xin Lan goes to is urban, her identity is a domestic violence victim who is bullied by her mothers family and bullied by her colleagues and bosses. Her mission is to reverse the situation, get rid of the abusive scum, make him kneel down and admit his mistakes, and then go to the top of her life. Zero Nine felt that according to Xin Lans fierce fighting ability, this mission would be a trivial matter, but he didnt expect Xin Lan to be too fierce. As soon as Xin Lan crossed over, the original owner was finished being bruised and battered by domestic violence. Xin Lan removed the legs of the wooden chair with her bare hands, took a stick and knocked on the door, and then beat up the scum. The scum wanted to fight back but couldnt. His act of fighting back made Xin Lan angry again, so Xin Lan locked the man in his room and beat him for a long time, unhinged his jaw, broke his arm and made the scum fall to his knees and cry bitterly, saying he would never commit acts of domestic violence again. Xin Lan ignored him, remembering that the scum man also committed marital rape. Rape, but also cheating, a direct kick to abolish the scum younger brother, closing the door and leaving. Zero Nine was so frightened by Xin Lan that she shivered and crouched in the system space painting circles. After Xin Lan had done this, she leisurely went to the kitchen and washed her hands clean and made herself dinner. As she ate she also asked if part of her mission was completed, Zero Nine thought so, after all, she had already made the scum fall to their knees and cry in pain, though the tactics were not quite the same as she had thought they would be. Together, one person and one system thought it should be. Xin Lan finished her meal, took the money and went out to the hospital. Her body is currently bruised and purple, her face is wounded, the blood on her forehead has dried up, the original owner was beaten to death before she crossed over. Xin Lan sat in the taxi, and felt that she had struck lightly; after all, that beast had killed the original owner with his own hands. After refusing to call the police as the taxi driver and hospital doctor had said, Xin Lan went home with her gauze on. As soon as she returned, she saw a group of people gathered around the place where her nominal scumbag husband, whom she had just beaten and ruined, had jumped off a building and killed himself. But the mission was not completed, and she and Zero Nine were ejected from the mission world, having failed the mission. It had only been a couple of hours in total. Zero Nine finished recalling, her eyes full of changes, this was probably the fastest failed mission world she had ever taken. The hosts style of painting was too clear-cut. Host, I will screen the next world for you properly, please rest well first. Xin Lan nodded, went back to her room and collapsed on her bed. When her old boss sent a communication asking how she was feeling about her new job, Xin Lan depressingly told the story and got a bunch of hahahahahahahaha. Sister Lan, no, Master Lan, you are the only one who is estimated to be like this. Laughing fart, whats the point of transferring me over, I was doing quite happily. Xin Lan was doing her merry villain thing, not to mention how happy she was, when suddenly a transfer was ordered and she failed her mission. It was a stain on the history of missions! Did you want a change of mood, cheer up good good good! Lest Xin Lan ask again, Baiou finished and cut off the communication. Almost all of the departments knew that most of the villain department were crazy. Xin Lan was the lunatic of lunatics. She had no problem with all the villains, and had never lost a single one since she had started her job. The villain can oppress the protagonist but is bound to fail, but there are many taskmasters who get so upset that some even do things like kill the protagonist to the point of mission failure. But Xin Lan had never been, and even when she died, she died cleanly, killing herself without mercy. That is what is most terrifying. According to her seniority, Xin Lan could have been the head of the villain department long ago, but she was not interested in this and went to the missions every day. Baiou was afraid that one day Xin Lan would not be able to distinguish between the reality of the missions or would be bored and would commit suicide, so when she heard that there was a shortage of people in the face slapping department, she moved someone there. She is probably impatient to have Xin Lan go into a relationship, but this kind of face-slapping mission would be great, Xin Lan has been a villain for so long, its time to be a protagonist and maybe have a relationship on the way to the mission. Xin Lan, unaware of what was on Baious mind, stretched out on the bed and stared at it with her eyes open. Without realising it, there was a feeling of sleep. Perhaps it was the failure she had never experienced before that made her dream a dream she hadnt had for a long time. She was in a vast and endless sea of stars, with smoke and cannon fire filling her surroundings. General Xin Lan, we are surrounded. The soldiers expression was sombre. Wheres the vanguard fleet? All destroyed. General, you should go first, we can still hold up for a while. We cant leave, the vanguard cant be all gone so quickly, theres definitely a rebellion General, the right flank has been hit hard! Someone came in a hurry, interrupting her words. Wheres the main ship touring party? Gone. What?! The soldier exclaimed. Rather a miscalculation on my part, inform the control room and proceed at full speed. But ahead is the main enemy ship Charge through. Aye! Heavenly Providence Imperium. The roar of cannon fire was almost deafening as Xin Lan donned her mecha and rushed into the sea of stars. Gloriously illuminating the vast expanse of starry sky with fire, forged in the glory of blood and tears. Xin Lans eyes snapped open, wiping away the sweat from her forehead, and she took a cigarette out of the box, nipping it into her mouth but not lighting it. She put the cigarette aside and walked into the bathroom. The reflection reveals a beautiful face, extremely attractive and aggressive, but those eyes are full of darkness, like a rose blooming by itself in the darkness of the night. Xin Lan washed her face, wiped the water droplets off her face with a towel, and sighed in an almost inaudible way. She had been here a long time since she had died in battle, so long that she could no longer remember how many quests she had done, how many protagonists she had bullied, and how many she had been slain by them. Some villains are born with rebellious personalities, deviant and antisocial personalities, while others are forced by life to blacken step by step, and Xin Lan has done each of them. But after coming out of the mission world, she washes away all those emotions and memories, and she just wants to be herself. But her personality cant help but be somewhat affected; she was already competitive and so much more belligerent. She had seen many strong protagonists who could not be beaten to death, and she did not expect the scum in her first assignment in the new department to be so vulnerable, and to kill himself over the slightest thing, and she had no idea of how far she had gone. Xin Lan despises this kind of person who looks for a sense of existence in others through domestic violence, it is not enough to die a million times. She pushed open the door and Zero Nine was on the sofa eating chips while looking for information. The host and the system are bound and live together. Xin Lans last system was a ball that always rolled around and pouted, this time the system looked like a die-hard otaku girl, with a bunch of nerdy hair on her head, black-framed glasses, long black hair and a pretty interesting personality. If she hadnt looked at her toes charging in the custom-made plugboard, Xin Lan would have thought she was a living human being. Does the host want some? Cucumber flavor. Zero Nine lifted the bag of chips and shoved one hand into her own mouth with a clicking sound. Xin Lan took it and followed along with a click. There you go, pick this for the new mission, you should like it, host. Zero Nines eyes lit up and the numbers flashed in her eyes as if she had seen something. Ex-girlfriend mission sequence ah Zero Nine trailed off and turned her head to look at Xin Lan. Does the host mind ex-girlfriend status? I have to deal with that? Ex-boyfriends, but their status is different from the first mission, and they usually have a higher status. That is, the protagonist? No, youre the protagonist, theyre the villain. Zero Nine corrected. That way Xin Lan raised an eyebrow and gave an amused smile. They must be pretty tough to beat. Stop your dangerous thoughts! Zero Nine remembered the fear that had dominated her. And what would be more appropriate for me to do to complete the mission? Xin Lan was lost in thought. Kick him down, be the boss yourself, and make him kneel and sing congratulations! Literally? Thats just how I described it. Zero Nine waved her hand, afraid that the host would actually beat someone up again. I got it, Ill be sure of my measure this time. Xin Lan nodded, and Zero Nine took the task, quickly finished the chips, took a sip of iced coke, wiped her mouth and hands with a paper, and led Xin Lan into the task world. The windows were bright and clear, and the books sounded great. Xin Lan looked at the textbook in front of her and blinked. Beautiful Campus World? Zero Nine: The data has finished loading, class will soon be over, the host should hurry up and get ready. Xin Lan read the background of the world and the original hosts memories, and retracted the beautiful sentence she had just said. It was nearly dusk, and she glanced at the expressions of the students around her; everyones expressions were stiff, even though their mouths were reading, and on closer inspection, some were shivering. A campus timetable was taped to the desks. 8:00-9:00: Discussion 9:00-11:30: Classes 11:30-2:00: Recess 2:00-5:00: Classes 5:00-7:30: Recess 7:30-12:00: Hunting The last two words are circled in red pen, filling the air with an unsettling meaning. T/N: Breathlessly (yuqwl): weakly and without strength (idiom); dispirited excitedly ² (xngzhbb): to become exhilarated (idiom); in high spirits bored Ȥ (liowshngq) : to lose all interest in life (idiom) bright and clear (chungmngjjng): lit. clear window and clean table (idiom) CH 2 Chapter 2 Hunting legally (Arc 1) The Escape 02 Originally on campus, four hundred students were inexplicably swept into the inter-dimensional campus space while the rules appeared in their minds. 1. There are 400 people on campus, each with one clue. 2. Collect 50 clues to get the key to the door, note that the clues must match up, if you cannot connect the clues, they are invalid. 3. 400 people can form a team of less than or equal to 5 people and can change team members at any time. 4. One person will be killed each night and clues will be given to others according to their will. 5. The above rule is invalid if the prey dies during a legal hunt 6. Anyone who takes any action during the non-hunting period will be wiped out. At first there was bewilderment, fear, screaming, and a frantic group of people running towards the door, but they couldnt get to the school entrance. At the same time, campus schedules appeared on everyones desks. The teachers taught the class normally, and no matter how the students argued and got angry, they were narrating their class just the same. No matter how they questioned, they only had a smile, and it was obvious that they were familiar people, but they gave people a cold feeling in their backs. Xin Lan learned from the original owners memory that today was her second day here. Yesterday someone lost their temper in class and was punished by standing for a lesson. It was not simply a punishment, but rather a being forced to lie in a coffin that appeared out of thin air, as though glued to it, a black coffin. It was so terrifying that no one dared to do anything else. As yesterday was the first day, everyone was cautiously watching, just like the rules said, a person had died. Where his clue was, everyone had a guess in their mind but no one said anything. With only 399 people left on campus, everybodys mind is on the line. Students who were once familiar have become strangers. No one wants to die, yet only five or fewer will survive. During a reasonable discussion time at this mornings reading, everyone quickly hugged each other, after all, everyone felt that there was strength in numbers and that it was too much of a disadvantage to drop the order in this situation. Xin Lan: Thats a bit interesting, if I kill 398 people by myself and wipe them out as a group, then arent the clues at my disposal? After all, as the rules have warned, there are some invalid clues, and who can guarantee that all fifty clues they get will be linkable, so they must get more than fifty. It was like a huge hunting ground and slaughterhouse, forcing people to kill each other. Zero Nine: Host, calm down a little!!!! Zero Nine: Do you remember what our mission was? Xin Lan: Ex-boyfriend. Zero Nine: Yes! Abuse him! We were tasked with abusing him and not getting out! Dont forget that! Zero Nine was really afraid that her host would run off the rails again, and although she seemed like she was joking, she really did believe that she could kill all of them quite so heartlessly. Xin Lan starts to sort out the memories of the original owner and organize her social relations. The original owner, also named Xin Lan, was a student in the third class of the second year of high school, a beautiful-looking student who deserved to be the class flower. Her ex-boyfriend was a school bully in her class, handsome, a good fighter and an arrogant and untamed bad boy, but his grades were good, so she fell in love with him and spent a month talking to him. The ex-boyfriend was just playing around and dumped her after a month. The original owner was heartbroken and inquired, but all she got was words of disgust. CHow many people have already played with you, youve dumped many people, why are you pretending to be innocent? CYoure just playing around. Thus, the girlfriend becomes the ex-girlfriend. Xin Lan: Send me the subsequent plot. Zero Nine immediately sent the plot to Xin Lan, who saw a new woman in this follow-up, whom she called the school bully. The school bully was the number one in the class and deserved the title of talented girl. In a strange world like this, one must of course find smart people to team up with, so the ex-boyfriend approached the school bully. The school bully takes into account the force of his ex-boyfriend, the School Bully, and makes an alliance with him to form a team and start a strong alliance. The two continue to bond, to the point where they work together seamlessly, and School Bully begins to pursue love in a dangerous world. The school bully is smart and attractive, and her ex-boyfriend has long been interested in her, but the school bullys previous look of not being in love kept him from making a move. In this strange dimension, he fights to be protective and occasionally affectionate, and finally manages to catch up with the school bully. It ends with the two leading a small team that collects enough clues to make it out of the school. However, as for the original owner, a beautiful-looking war hero, she was raped before being killed to take the clue, and when she struggled, her ex-boyfriend was right next to her and saw it, walking by indifferently. If Xin Lan saw the original owner dumped in front of her only mildly upset, it can only be said that she met someone unlucky, but seeing the end of the original owner is not a happy mood. Xin Lan: The person who killed the original host will tell me when the time comes. Zero Nine: Okay, also host, after that person killed the original owner, the scum grabbed that person again and took two clues at once oh! Excessive! Xin Lans pen twirled between her fingers, her slightly messy hair hiding the eerie coldness on her face. Zero Nine: Host! You mustnt let him go too peacefully! Ive got the strategy here, seducing 10,000 fans, Shura, its all there, whichever you want! Xin Lan: Can I rob the school bully? Zero Nine: What???? Xin Lan: Rob his woman. Zero Nine: ???? The script wasnt written like that, it doesnt fit the set-up. Xin Lan: It doesnt work? Didnt you say sadistic? Isnt he after love? Ill let him have no love. Xin Lan: If I cant, then Ill insult him, abuse him, threaten him, imprison him, torture him Zero Nine: Lets discuss how to steal his woman. Zero Nine shuddered, thinking of the scum who had been beaten into a wailing dog in the first mission in the room, thinking that the conventional strategy probably wouldnt work for her host, so it was better to do it unconventionally. Break the scums ex-boyfriends wings for love and make him regret it! Theoretically, it was very good. Xin Lan didnt discuss it with Zero Nine, because the bell rang at the end of class. The teacher walks out of the classroom very punctually, without a moments delay, with a sharpness that puts to shame teachers who love to drag out the lecture for another minute. All sound stops, like a pantomime. During non-discussion time, it is not allowed to speak about tactical matters or you will be banned. This is the same lesson that someone left the crowd yesterday with themselves. Someone walked out of the classroom first, and then everyone walked out in a sparse and not at all positive manner. Lets go. Someone tapped at Xin Lans desk, a boy with glasses. This was the captain of the original owners group. The original owner had wanted to go to her ex-boyfriend, but was angry when he gave her a contemptuous look and came back. With forty seats in a class, four hundred people are divided into ten different classes, and Xin Lan is not in the same class as her ex-boyfriend and the school bully. This personnel was movable, but very few people formed teams across classes, unless they knew each other well or wanted to hug a big thigh. Xin Lan nodded her head and followed the boys. The team Xin Lan was in had not yet exchanged clues with each other, not knowing whether it was because they had not had enough time in the morning or whether they were on their own alert, but it was good news for Xin Lan. If you had a clue, you could be prey at any time, but if you didnt, you would have to wait for death. Why do I feel like youre a little different. The boy pushed his glasses up and said in a slightly thoughtful manner. How different. It feels as though youre suddenly much calmer. Its already like this, there is nothing you can do if you dont calm down. Xin Lan tugged at the corner of her mouth and gave a perfunctory smile. The boys felt the same and didnt ask any more questions. People walking in twos and threes accompanied each other on the way to the cafeteria, most of them silent except for some who were talking. Xin Lans hand was in the pocket of her school uniform, clutching the clue of the original owner in her hand. At the very beginning, the original owner saw a note with the clue under the first sink in the toilet on the third floor of the girls dormitory, and the original owner followed what was written on it to get her clue. A fragment of something that resembled a map. Xin Lan loosened her clenched hand, her expression flat. They were a team of five, and apart from Xin Lan, there was a shorter girl. Xin Lan mentally numbered the memory, Cai Yang for the small glasses, Guo Ming for the acne, Chen Zhi Hong for the small dark man and Zhou Ming Fang for the short man. The short man walked on the other side of Xiao Yan Jing, while Hei Xiao Zhuang and Qing Chun Dou walked behind him. Seeing the small glasses Cai Yang, who had unknowingly gotten close again, Xin Lan took a stride and entered the canteen. Being good looking can sometimes be an advantage, like this, where people automatically come to you, but Xin Lan likes to be the boss. Xin Lan is rarely a loner. When she was a general, she had many subordinates under her, and when she was a villain, she had no shortage of minions and followers. She was used to being the dominant one, and yet didnt like being the boss of the unruly supporters who couldnt listen. The few people behind her each had their own ideas, and this makeshift team Xin Lan was not necessarily going to follow. Now that she has an idea to fight her ex, how can she set up a team strong enough to fight her ex and scoop up the school bully again. Xin Lan: Nine-nine, Im going to split the team to poach people, what do you think of this plan? Zero Nine: Why not just join the ex-boyfriend team, you can always be ready to stick your knife in, and pry the school bully, and piss off your ex-boyfriend, you are not his ex-girlfriend, just go and play well with his goddess, and when the time comes to say bad things about him at the school bully, isnt that better! Xin Lan: I think you are up to the task yourself. Such a talent, its too condescending to be a system. Xin Lan is somewhat accustomed to the idea that there are three kinds of villains that she does, one is the one who is with the protagonist and then betrays and inserts the knife because of certain things, one is the boss waiting to be swiped by the protagonist, and one is the one who has the opposite position to the protagonist and must be a mortal enemy, she doesnt like the first one too much and thinks that instead of love and hate, it is better to have one hate to the end. She can consider Zero Nines suggestion, but the optimal situation is that she still wants to kick her ex-boyfriend out of the way and abuse him to death as a rival. Zero Nine: Low key, after all, Im merely a deeply secretive unified. True heroes never look back at explosions, and true systems never abuse scum themselves. T/N: kill each other. ɱ (zxingcnsh): to massacre one another (idiom); internecine strife deserved ֮ (dngzhwku): fully deserving, without any reservations (idiom); entirely worthy (of a title, honor etc) class flower ໨ (bnhu): the prettiest girl in the class arrogant and untamedѱ (jiobxn): arrogant and obstinate (idiom) / unyielding fights ܲ (fnbgshn): to dash on bravely with no thought of personal safety (idiom); undaunted by dangers / regardless of perils Shura (xilu): Asura, malevolent spirits in Indian mythology regret it Ī (huhumj): too late for regrets (idiom); It is useless to repent after the event. lesson that someone left the crowd yesterday with themselves. ǰ֮ (qinchzhjin): to learn a lesson from the mistakes of ones predecessor (idiom) Xiao Yan Jing С (xio) ۾ (ynjng): Little eyeglasses/ spectacles Hei Xiao Zhuang (hi) С (xio) ׳ (zhung): something along the lines of Little Strong Blackie Qing Chun Dou ഺ (qngchndu): acne / pimples loner (dlidwng): coming and going alone (idiom); a lone operator big thigh (bodtu): (coll.) to cling to sb influential or famous I will try to update regularly, probably every Friday if i can. CH 3 The Escape 03 The canteen is full of people, queuing up and already eating, so if you dont look closely youll think its no different from the usual campus. The canteen staff are still shaking their hands, and the only good thing is that you dont need to swipe your meal card to eat. Xin Lan went to the stir-fry side, which in fact was also the most crowded. The stir-fry is considered good in the canteen specifications, and although it could have been made by the same master chef, it still compares well with the cheaper meals available there. It was a situation like this, and it didnt cost anything, so everyone would choose to make themselves eat better. As Xin Lan moved forward in the queue, she saw her ex-boyfriend and the school bully walking past her with their trays. The school bully was wearing a school uniform jacket, showing a small part of her white neck, tied in a ponytail, her appearance was indeed outstanding, and as she walked past Xin Lan, Xin Lan could even smell a faint fragrance. By the time Xin Lan arrived, there were not many dishes left, so she ordered two randomly and walked to the side of the table with her tray. Zero Nine: Sister Lan, arent we going to sit over at the ex-boyfriends side? There are still empty seats on the ex-boyfriends side, not sure if people dont want to get too close to other teams or are wary of the school bully ex-boyfriend, theres nothing on his side. This canteen can hold a thousand people, and with three hundred and ninety-nine people in it, it seems spacious. Xin Lan: Im afraid I wont be able to resist the urge to dunk him in the food, it will be a waste of food, not good. The first time she went over there as an ex-girlfriend, she knew she would be mocked or looked at in a blank stare by her ex-boyfriend, the scum of the earth. Zero Nine stopped talking, she had forgotten again that Xin Lan was the sweetheart who didnt play by the rules. Everyone finished their dinner and didnt stay too long. It was perfectly safe during this time of rest. Everyone is free to go to any part of the school, whether it be the school building, the dormitory building, the library, the schoolyard, the auditorium, it can all be involved, but you have to leave when hunting time starts. The hunting activities are restricted to the fifth floor of the school building as well as the dormitory building. All ten classes are placed on the third floor and they can hide anywhere in the school and dormitory buildings during the hunting period. Cai Yang, the young spectacled one, suggested a trip to the library to see if they could find anything. He said it cryptically, afraid of being banned, and between eye contact, everyone understood what he meant. What could be in there, arent they just some books? Dark and strong Chen Zhi Hong frowned, he usually hated reading books the most. Its not like theres any harm in going, Im in favour of it. The short man, Zhou Ming Fang, nodded, maybe there was some clue inside the book, how would he know there wasnt without having read it. Xin Lan had no objection and the five of them went to the library. On the way there they collided with another group and when they reached the library they found another group already inside. Not every team came in groups of five, and Xin Lan met a team of three and a team of four, who did not greet each other, and even passed by in silence, with some slight hostility. The only sound in the library was the sound of pages clattering and turning, and Chen Zhi Hong sat bored, holding a somewhat worn-out manga that had been turned over. Nothing seems to have changed, I came here the day before I entered and our class was having a reading session. Zhou Ming Fang put down the book in her hand and said with some frustration. I told you I couldnt find anything. Chen Zhi Hong scowled and continued flipping through the comics in his hands. You still have the nerve to say that, youre the only one who didnt put in any effort. Guo Ming, the young pimple, said coldly. How do you mean? Chen Zhi Hong pounded the table with his book, his expression cold. He was dark and strong, and he looked a bit fierce in this way. Guo Ming didnt say anything more, and Cai Yang rushed to smooth things over. Xin Lan flipped through the books on her own, letting Zero Nine scan all the books here. Zero Nine: Reporting to Sister Lan, nothing is documented here, but there is some male and female physiological health, oh hell, there is also a small yellow book hidden, tsk tsk, and I dont know who put it in. Looks like theres nothing, lets go. Xin Lan put the book back, and Chen Zhi Hong immediately echoed. The three remaining men looked at each other and decided to leave as well. Where are you going? Zhou Ming Fang saw Xin Lan walking ahead and took a distance of two or three steps away already. The dormitory. Then Ill go too, just in time to relocate the dormitory and ask if we can change it. Their accommodation is random, appearing in their minds as they arrive. No one dared to wander off on the first day and slept in the prescribed bed, which, to their horror, contained their own things, in that bed and locker, even if they were day students. Zhou Ming Fang and Xin Lan were not in the same dormitory, but since they were in a team, they naturally wanted to sleep with their teammates. When Xin Lan returned to the dormitory, no one was back yet. Zhou Ming Fang did not want to be separated from her teammates, so she sat in Xin Lans dorm room. The accommodation at this school was still very good, with a bed and a table, but there was no single bathroom. After ten minutes or so, one of Xin Lans roommates came back. Zhou Ming Fang said her dorm number and asked if she could change dormitories, and coincidentally, it so happened that the girl had a teammate in that room. Xin Lan got out of bed to help and assisted Zhou Ming Fang to move her things. The other two roommates came back and didnt say anything when they saw their new roommate, each going back to their beds. Xin Lan fiddled with her phone on her bed, which had no internet access, and looked at the time on it. When the break was over, a bell rang on campus. Everyone couldnt help but tense up, and Zhou Ming Fang ducked under the covers. Hunting time, it was starting. The dormitory door was closed and no one showed any sign of wanting to move. Zhou Ming Fang looked at the door, afraid that a monster might break in through there. Xin Lan looked at her and withdrew her eyes, as long as the door was not opened, the greatest danger at the moment was certainly not outside the door, but inside it, and the unknown. It got dark early in the winter, it was just after seven oclock and it was already all dark outside. The wind whistled and rattled the glass windows. Xiaochun took out her diary and took a pen to record in it. But then, out of the blue, the diary in her hand was jerked over to someone. Give it back! Xiaochun lowered her voice and glared at the person across from her. Xin Lan was attracted by the movement and looked up. Look what our little bitch wrote on it, tsk, tsk, tsk, tsk, tsk, tsk, tsk. The long drawn out female voice carried a sharp mockery, like it was trying to shatter ones pride. You shut up! Xiaochun looked at her two roommates on the other side in some panic, her face a little white. Why arent you letting the screaming out yet? Fear of being drowned by the water, tsk, tsk, tsk, pretentious. None of your business, give it back to me! Changed roommates today, roommate A is pretty, roommate B is on the same team as her, if only the other one would die, what do you mean little bitch? You curse me to death? The girl read the diary in an amused tone, only to blush at the end and smash it back into Xiaochuns head, which immediately turned red and swollen across her forehead. Fuckin bitch, looks like you didnt get enough of your usual lecture, did you, how dare you curse me to death? I wont die if you bitch is dead, give me your clue! The girl stood up and tried to cross the bed to Xiaochuns side of the bed. I wont give it to you. Xiaochun pushed at the person, only to be slapped by her hair. Zhou Ming Fang dared not bother and huddled under the covers, shivering. Xin Lan frowned at the noise and looked at the girl who was beating her up. With a few studs in her ears, an expression full of hostility and dirty words spitting out of her mouth, and linking it to what she had said earlier, she thought it was school violence that had been going on for a long time. There was still a standoff there, the girl grabbing Xiaochuns hair and running her hands all over her body, trying to get a clue, when Xiaochun bit her and pushed the person away. The cries of pain and swearing were really annoying and Xin Lan threw over a mineral water bottle that was still half full, hitting the violent girl with unerring precision. Where are the chickens from, squawking before dawn, others have to sleep, got it? Xin Lan sneered, she hated people making noise. Youre the fucking chicken, you look like a lady, youve been played by many people and you still dont know it, youre pretending to be noble with me here? Who doesnt know that youre a loose woman who doesnt even want to play with Zou Yunfei. The girl gave a shout, dropped her grip on Xiaochuns hair and sneered towards Xin Lan. Zou Yun Fei was the scum ex-boyfriend. Xin Lan got out of bed and came underneath the girl. What? Still want to fight me? Xin Lan but without any bullshit, just grabbed her by one foot and yanked her off the top bunk, the girl fell to the ground and curled up in pain. You fucking bitch born dog, how dare you Before she could finish her curse, Xin Lan yanked her head down onto the table, making a loud noise. Say it again. Xin Lan raised an eyebrow. Laozi said you . Cbang! Say it again. You fucking Cbang. Say that again. Xin Lans tone was light, but unnerving. The girl was dragged and hit several times, her head bleeding, beads of blood sliding down her face, her eyes glaring at Xin Lan with hatred, but she did not dare to speak again. Mute? Wasnt you quite able to talk just now? Let go of me if you dare! Xin Lan let go and patted her hands in disgust. The girl stood up from the ground and tried to lunge at Xin Lan, but she was kicked in the lower part of her stomach and fell to the ground clutching her stomach. Xin Lan licked her dry lips and gave the girls hand a few hard grinds. I was just wrong, youre not a chicken, youre a dog, right, otherwise how could you be full of shit. Xin Lan crouched leisurely on the ground, her fingers fumbling in the girls pockets. The girl was about to struggle when she was hit in the face with an elbow and Xin Lan had one hand around her neck, telling Zero Nine to tell her where the stuff was. Zero Nine: Well, in the fatty. Kinda good at hiding. Xin Lan stood up and crooked a finger at Xiaochun, who had just taken a beating on the bed. Come down and help me get her trousers off. Xiaochun dared not disobey and shivered as she got out of bed. The girl still tried to move and was met with a stomp on the chest by Xin Lan. Isnt someone going to die tonight, if you move again, that someone will be you. C T/N: bored (biwlioli): bored to death (idiom) yellow book (hungsh): pornographic book Laozi (lozi): I, your father (in anger, or out of contempt) / I (used arrogantly or jocularly) Im still waiting for romance anyway, im getting the gist of all this. Gonna create a discord, so wait for it CH 4 The Escape 04 The girl didnt dare to move, based on how hard Xin Lan had just hit her and how she had stepped on her foot, she had no doubt that she would go right for it. But despite this thought, she still tried to resist when Xiaochun came to take off her trousers with her legs in the air. Xin Lan got annoyed with her and kicked her unconscious. Xin Lan got annoyed with her and kicked her unconscious. Zhou Ming Fang was also dumbfounded and pulled the covers over herself, leaving one eye out. Never did she think that the class flower, who looks like a flower vase, could be so scary in action. In the midst of her fear she was a little glad that she was a teammate, by the time she went to bed she would have had to be separated from her teammates, and having a girl with a very high force value with her was simply a great way to feel safe. Zero Nine had become so used to the hosts brutality that she was able to stop cringing. Xiaochun, already annoyed to the core with the girl on the floor, stripped her trousers without mercy and sneaked a couple of kicks. Take the inner one off too. Xin Lan ignored Xiaochuns little gesture and angled her chin, gesturing for her to continue. Xiaochun was a bit surprised, but promptly stripped the inside one as well and saw the pieces of clue that had fallen. Xiaochun picked it up and handed it to Xin Lan. Xin Lan took one look at it and saw that it didnt match the edge of her clue, which she stuffed into her pocket. Xiaochun thought that Xin Lan would take advantage of the situation and claim it, but she didnt, so she was grateful. She looked at the naked girl on the floor and clenched her fists as she remembered her past experiences of being bullied. She took her clothes out of the wardrobe and brought her toiletries with her. Xin Lan, do you want to take a shower? Zhou Ming Fang was a little worried, who knew what might happen if she went out at this time. That inexplicable rule, no one knew what the conditions for obliteration were, the first person had died inexplicably on the bed in the dormitory, why it was him, no one knew for sure. Hmm. Xin Lan bent down to take the cleansing lotion and put it in her washbasin. But in case you are chosen In case you are chosen, you will die wherever you are, and if you are afraid when I go out, lock the door, I wont be back tonight. Where are you going? Zhou Ming Fang sat up and asked in surprise, and even Xiaochun looked at Xin Lan. You dont need to ask this. Xin Lan packed up her things, changed her slippers and put her trainers in a plastic bag to take with her. But arent we teammates? Zhou Ming Fang was a little startled, fearing that Xin Lan was leaving her behind. Xin Lan opened the door and turned around, the light from the corridor making her look a little obscured. Dont be so naive, the team is subject to change at any time, its only the second day. Xin Lan closed the door behind her, the sound of it closing seemed to smash into the heart and soul. Xin Lan went to the bathroom at the far end. On each floor there is a WC and a washroom, at opposite ends of the corridor. The bathrooms are on the left side of the corridor and the washroom and WC are on the right side of the corridor. There are five bathrooms, and the lights and water are switched on by using a card. However, in this alien space, no one needs a card to use the water, and the lights in each bathroom are on, which looks rather weird. Xin Lans dorm room was off to the left, quite close to the bathrooms, so she took her things and went into one of them. The dim light fell on people and the silence around them was terrifying. Xin Lan undressed, exposing the developing body of a young girl. Quite the body. Xin Lan turned on the tap and ran her hand across her body. All Zero Nine could see was a mosaic, and the visual effect always felt like he was looking at some kind of LΈŮ. The water splashed down onto the floor and then into the drain. Xin Lan soaked her back and heard some other movement amidst the sound of the water. She turned off the water, and the moment the sound of the water stopped, that light sound of movement was a reality. With the air quiet to the drop of a pin, Xin Lan opened the shower gel and applied it to herself. Zero Nine: Sister Lan, theres someone outside, being sneaky and stealthy! Xin Lan didnt stop applying the body wash, washing leisurely. Zero Nine knew that Xin Lan couldnt have missed it, so he pushed up the glasses and waited to see what would happen next. Xin Lan finished applying the body wash and turned on the tap, letting the water wash away the foam on her body. The gentle sound as if someone was walking on their tiptoes was perfectly concealed by the sound of the water as Xin Lan rubbed her neck and washed every part of her body clean, turned off the water and began to dry off and get dressed. She had to put on a bra, wipe the water off her face and start patting her skin lotion. Only after doing this did Xin Lan lower her head. At the same time, she turned on the water tap. The water rushed and Xin Lan gazed at the gap at the bottom of the door. A pair of black and white eyes appeared there with a visual effect comparable to a horror film. The pair of eyes locked eyes with Xin Lans and immediately stood up, and tried to run. Xin Lan opened the door and threw the shower gel out, hitting the man in the leg socket with unerring accuracy. The man stumbled in his movement while Xin Lan yanked the man back with a hand that was long. The man stumbled, but Xin Lan had a long hand and yanked him back. It looked like a girl, and she looked very weak. If it had been a girl it would have been fine, but if it had been a boy Xin Lan would have definitely punched him first. Didnt your mother ever teach you that you cant just watch people shower? Yes sorry, I The girl twisted her fingers in confusion and bowed her head nervously. She wasnt sure why she had gotten spooked, seeing someone in the shower here and thinking that they must be unsuspecting and she might be able to sneak up on them when they came out of the shower and get the clue pieces, but she hadnt expected to be discovered so quickly. Xin Lan narrowed her eyes and let go with a tsk. The girl got free and ran off in a huff. It was only the second day, and there was no telling what it would be like the later it got. Zero Nine: Why did you let her go, host? Wouldnt it be better to rob her of her clues? Xin Lan: Theres no rush, whats due will come, why be a target, wouldnt it be better to end everyone else in one go when the time comes? Zero Nine: Right! Only the dead have clues that go nowhere, but the living know. Whoever had more clues on them would naturally be given priority, and Xin Lan did not want to be a moving target just yet. Xin Lan asked Zero Nine for the dormitory number, picked up the shower gel that had just been dropped on the floor as a weapon with the basin in her arms and headed towards that dormitory. Zero Nine: Host, that s the way to go, huh? Xin Lan: What else? As a qualified villain, you cant have no minions underneath you, and now that theres no one to develop my underlings, Ill have to do it myself. Zero Nine: Host, you are now the protagonist! Xin Lan: occupational illness, the protagonist, well, needs a partner, just as much to develop an underling. Zero Nine was silent, the hosts wording and style always made her, a good system of five words and four beauties, feel like she was in some kind of illegal organization. Xin Lan knocked on the door three times, but no one answered. Xin Lan knocked three more times, and still no one answered. The people inside the door were startled by the sudden knocking and looked at the door, but no one opened the door. The knocker was quite persistent and knocked three more times. A short while later, the knocking stopped. The people inside the room breathed a sigh of relief, but before they could relax for two seconds, the knocking sounded again. Knock, knock, knock, knock, knock, knock, knock. It was quite regular. Xin Lan was knocking away to the BGM played by Zero Nine when the door was suddenly opened to a clearly angry face. Nuts. Sorry, Im looking for someone. Looking for who? The girl was very wary and opened it only a slit. Xin Lan: Whats the schoolgirls name again? Zero Nine: Shen Shuiyuan. Xin Lan: Good name. Shen Shuiyuan. Youre looking for her? The girl showed some suspicion and turned her head towards the door and called out. Not long after, Shen Shuiyan appeared in front of Xin Lan. She left the door open a little and showed a smile. Classmate, are you looking for me for something? Relaxed and composed, yet subtly kept at a safe distance. At a glance, Xin Lan concluded that this was not a simple person, a smile she had seen before, on her military mentor in the world of villains. Seemingly benign, but actually calculating. That was good, in a world like this, it was most comfortable to deal with smart people. Hello, Im Xin Lan. Xin Lan smiled brightly and generously, and Shen Shuiyuan raised an eyebrow in a few imperceptible moments. She naturally knew who she was, Xin Lan, Zou Yunfeis ex-girlfriend, who was quite famous in their original class, that face was very inviting. I came to ask you, to form a team? Sorry, Ive already got a team. Shen Shuiyan couldnt figure out what this person was up to for a moment and politely declined. Student Shen is a smart person, she would not be unaware that the team can change at any time. Im always waiting for you, Im more reliable than the person you choose. Xin Lan said with a smile, and although Shen Shuiyuan was not convinced, she still politely said yes. The door in front of her was closed and Xin Lan took the basin and went back to her dormitory. Zero Nine: Thats it? Xin Lan: What else do you want? Xin Lan was prepared for a closed door, this was already expected to be a good scene, Shen Shuiyuan is a smart person, leave her a path first, say hello, thats all. Zero Nine: I thought she would succumb to your kingly aura, host, and then swear to follow you to death. Xin Lan: Have you seen too many Mary Sue dramas? If Shen Shuiyuan agrees, she thinks there will be something fishy instead. Either she is brain-damaged or has her own calculations. The second type of conduct that clearly does not fit the subsequent plot is mostly supernumerary. That is, it could be a colleague in a department, or a possession/takeover/rebirth/crossover. The first two cases are fine, but the latter two are a bit troublesome. Luckily, Shen Shuiyans intelligence was normal or even in the smart range, making Xin Lan still quite happy. I wish that ex-boyfriend of mine wasnt stupid too. Xin Lans whisper seemed distinctly ghostly in the empty corridor. Zero Nine: But host, didnt you say you werent going back? Xin Lan had no intention of going back to bed; she swapped her slippers for trainers at the door of her dormitory, set the basin aside and did a little stretching. Xin Lan propped herself up on one hand and went up to the balcony, eliciting a soft whine from Zero Nine. Zero Nine: Host this is the fourth floor Before she could say anything, Xin Lan had already landed steadily, moving as lightly as a cat. It is only the fourth floor in the district. T/N: class flower ໨ (bnhu): the prettiest girl in the class flower vase ƿ (hupng): flower vase / fig. just a pretty face LΈŮ (Oyashiro no Maiden): Girl in the bathroom black and white ڰ׷ (hibifnmng): black and white clearly contrasted / (fig.) unambiguous persistent ֲи (jinchbxi): to persevere unremittingly (idiom); to keep going until the end BGM: To possess ones own background music. This slang term comes from the fact that important TV or movie characters tend to have their signature background music. Shuiyuan ˮ (shuyn): shredded tobacco for water pipes existence keeps getting harder every day CH 5 Chapter 5 Hunting legally (Arc 1) The Escape 05 Xin Lan had never really figured out exactly how their headquarters existed, at first when she was a newcomer she would have been curious, later on it was a desire to know more about the core. But no one knows the result. Not even knowing why they are here and why they are assigned to this department, the assignment is directly on the system. If the system were to be asked how they were made, they would reply that it was how they were made. Various personalities and appearances, after too many worlds, Xin Lan had given up pursuing the issue. There was no point. There was a reward for every mission completed, and that reward was the ability to choose for yourself what way it was. Some are to improve physical fitness, enhance memory, money, etc., some are to be able to take as long a holiday as they want, and some are to return to reality. Xin Lan had a colleague who just kept doing missions just so she could spend more time in reality with her family. Not only human souls can come here, Xin Lans colleagues include mountain spirits, demons, vampires and others, each with their own oddities. Xin Lan only used her reward once, to go back to her original planet to see how the Empire turned out in the end. The Empire was badly damaged in that war, but she also took a heavy toll on her opponents main ship at the cost of her death, the Empire uncovered the traitor, and, in a period of national recovery, her name, Xin Lan, was included in the Imperial Chronicle, so there seemed little need to stay there any longer. She took the rewards done out of the various worlds afterwards to augment her abilities, though after she came within the mission world, she would be subject to some limitations. As far as the real world Xin Lan is concerned, she already has a physicality that can be compared to a superhero. Entering the first world with weakened powers, she used three parts of her power to beat up the scum, who was only seriously injured. If she was in her original state with three parts of her strength, the scum would have been whacked into the wall and unable to even gouge himself out. Zero Nine: The host is awesome! Where are you going though? Xin Lan: During the legal hunt, hunting, of course. Xin Lans figure faded into the night and disappeared at the end of the path. Zero Nine smacked his lips and sighed infinitely. She remembered her first two hosts, which were completely different from this one, really they came from another department, their style was just straightforward. Xin Lan: Whats with the tsking? Its a bit irritating to be alone at night, sighing and tsking in your own head. Zero Nine: I remembered the host I had before. Xin Lan had already walked up to the school building, which was dark and unlit. There was a particular sense of terror about the school at night, and the doors of the open school building looked like wide open mouths, filled with ooze. Xin Lan pressed herself against the wall and walked up the stairs, hearing Zero Nines words and telling her to kankan. Zero Nine: My first host was a delicate fox spirit with a soft body, that person hooked up with people and beat their faces in a matter of minutes, and could have gotten a better man to give her a hard time at any time, but in the end it got out of hand. Xin Lan: How so? Xin Lan was a little interested, the taskmaster could not be said to be omnipotent in the world, but also subject to many restrictions, playing off is accidentally destroying the world? This was a major job mistake and would result in a heavy penalty, not to mention the deduction of money for the rest of the shift and mandatory counselling sessions and other supervision. Xin Lan was the one who always remembered who she was and did not do such a thing, she had little interest in destroying the world, but a colleague had done it and made Xin Lan aware of the punishment regulations. Zero Nine: Fox spirit, as you know, is by nature more licentious, catching one and dumping the other, she spent all her rewards on her own blooming beauty, in some quest world, was tied up by several natives jointly, the thing can lock the soul, I cant save it, she had to stay there. Zero Nine said this with some melancholy, but in truth she wasnt quite able to understand why her host was trying to make a fool of herself, acting as if she couldnt live without a man had given her a misguided mindset, and it was still strange to see her second host not trying to catch a man, a notion that was eventually corrected by her second host. Zero Nine: The second host I had was a human, and according to human society, she was severely misogynistic, hitting her face all on her own, played a great game of scheming, and was ruthless in her actions. Xin Lan: So how did you replace her for me? The first day of the game was a disaster. The first day I took over the system, I met a new speed of failure and was scared of the host. Xin Lan: In love? With a female, huh? The first thing you need to do is to get a good idea of what youre getting into. A painful person who thinks out of the box, too. Xin Lan sighed in her heart after hearing this, and had already walked to the third floor. Zero Nine: Host, what are you doing here, there is no one here. Xin Lan gestured for her to be quiet and tumbled in through the window. The next day, everyone was quite cowardly, no one came to the school building. The reason why she came was to see what was in the classroom. There were classes during the day and there were a lot of people, so it was definitely not a good idea to rummage around. Although there might not be any clues, it would be a good idea to do it as a pre-hunt scouting activity. Xin Lan left the lights on and looked at the classroom furnishings through the moonlight outside. Plain classroom, chandeliers, fans, blackboards, whiteboards, slogans on top of the classroom Xin Lans eyes stopped at the slogan, which during the daytime should have read Heavenly Rewards and Self-improvement, but now on the other side it was Self-improvement, which had been altered One character, not really an alteration, but a change from simplified to traditional Chinese. Nobody stays in the classroom after school, this handiwork would definitely not be done by the three hundred and ninety-nine students here, only the so-called rules aka NPCs. Zero Nine: Host, I-I-Im a little scared. Zero Nine hugged his little yellow rooster pillow tightly in the system space, although it is a materialist, but how to think how strange it is to suddenly be replaced with a word slogan in an empty classroom in the middle of the night, right? Xin Lan was so calm that she even moved her desk and chair and stepped on it to reach the word, slowly tearing it away from the bottom by a corner. Something landed in her palm, and Xin Lan squeezed it, pasted the word back, wiped the footprints clean after restoring the table and chair, and sat down, looking at the object in her hand by the light. It was a stiff paper card, the texture of which resembled the game cards children played with. There was a line of writing printed on it. [Clue Card]: Use it silently during a legal hunt to obtain one clue that fits. Xin Lan immediately used it, and the card disappeared from her hand, replaced by a clue fragment. Xin Lan took out her other two, and sure enough this one had the same pattern as her own original one. Xin Lan pieced it together, and nothing came out. It looked like a torn map, but the paper was peculiar, and at least it could not be torn, it was very soft. Xin Lan put the three clues in her pocket and went back the way she had come. She had just wanted to see if anything would happen today, preferably to hunt for fallen prey, but everyone was cautiously hugging each other, but it was good to have an unexpected surprise. There must be more than one surprise hidden in this school, and she would probably have missed this one if she hadnt been so habitually observant. It was just not clear whether this was the kindness of the rules or a much deeper trap. Xin Lans original plan had been to look through all these places, but she had not expected to make an unexpected discovery at all. She wondered if there would be something like this inside the other classrooms, her instincts told her there was, but again, years of experience told her not to go there. Xin Lan was not a greedy person either, she always felt that if she collected several of these things at once today, she might die a violent death tomorrow. The word strong, the one she had taken out as a clue, had now been restored to its original form. Seeing this, she wasnt about to keep it until 12 oclock. The end of the hunt was at twelve oclock and Xin Lan always thought that something would change after that, but she had got a clue and the place where the clue was hidden had been restored to its original state. To be on the safe side, she decided to leave. Again, Xin Lan jumped down the corridor to the ground, giving Zero Nine the fright that her host was going to jump off the building. Xin Lan returned to the dormitory and knocked on the door. Xiaochun opened the door for her, and the moment she saw Xin Lan it was as if she had seen some kind of saviour, almost crying with joy. Xin Lan lifted the basin up and put it in, and saw a girl sitting on a chair wiping the blood from her head. No wonder Xiaochun had that look on her face, she was afraid that this person would come back to rob her of what she was carrying. The girl took one look at Xin Lan, but she didnt dare to show any resentment, so she kept her eyes downcast and went about her business. Xin Lan arranged the things one by one, took the basin with the laundry detergent and prepared to go and wash the clothes. Xiaochun followed behind Xin Lan with the basin in her shaking hands, and Xin Lan didnt mind, but when she closed the door, she said something to her. Are you so scared? Xiaochun nodded and clutched the basin in her hand. Shes already hurt, you dont have to be so scared of her. Im afraid shell go crazy, she doesnt have a clue anymore, and Im afraid shell try to rob me. Xiaochun said honestly. Youre not afraid Im going to rob you? I Xiaochun hesitated for a moment, but still didnt pull away from Xin Lan. Give it to anyone but her, if you want it I can give it to you, just dont hit me. Xiaochun said after a moment of thought, but the last sentence was a whisper. Zero Nine: Pfft. Did her Host look that vicious? Just keep it for yourself for now. Xin Lan hid the obscurity in her eyes and walked to the Water Room. Deal with the vicious dogs in the crowd first, and dont worry if the rest of the sheep will misbehave. What the author has to say: Zero Nines changes to dislike people on the system network Initially: there are many men who are crazy about my host, your host is a rookie! Later: whats the big deal about seducing men, my host is a high-powered man-hater, and your hosts are all different! Now: Whats the pride in men going crazy for her? I can beat ten of those men with one, cut! Other systems: ???? C T/N: Kankan ٩٩ (knkn): to possess assurance and composure licentious ŵ (fngdngbj): wanton and unrestrained (idiom); dissolute CH 6 Chapter 6 Hunting legally (Arc 1) The Escape 06 Xin Lan hanged her clothes out on the balcony and went back to her bed. Zhou Ming Fang remembered Xin Lans earlier statement about not coming back, but where she had gone in the time between her return, only she knew. Zhou Ming Fangs heart was clawing like a cat, but she didnt dare to ask. Xin Lan had said that there were no permanent teammates, meaning that she could break away at any time. Zhou Ming Fang clenched the pieces of her clue and leaned in the direction of the wall again. No one could be trusted here, and everyone was in danger. She didnt want to die. Xiaochun was the last one to go to bed, her lamp pressed out and she curled up, not even daring to fall asleep for fear that she might have a clue stolen from her in her sleep, or that she might be retaliated against by the girl in the adjoining bunk. Xin Lan was sleeping soundly when she heard the clock faintly. Xin Lan: Is it twelve oclock? Zero Nine: Yes. Xin Lan fell back to sleep. Late in the night, there was a soft ringing in the dormitory. The sound was so subtle that it was almost ignorable. Zero Nine, however, instantly paused the drama she was catching up on and observed the source of the sound in the dormitory. A person sat up from the bed and gingerly got out of it. Her movements were a little sluggish and Zero Nine instantly recognized her as the girl who had been beaten up by Xin Lan during the night. The person fumbled around on her desk and found what she was looking for. The faint, dim light reflected the blades glint; it was a fruit knife. Zero Nine had no idea what she wanted and failed to wake Xin Lan up, knowing that the person was holding a fruit knife close towards Xin Lans bed and stepping on the wooden stairs of Xin Lans bed. Zero Nine: Host, someones at your bedside with a knife! Xin Lan opened her eyes, her face expressionless. Zero Nine felt that she looked a little out of place and hugged the little yellow chicken, not daring to speak. The knife light became the only visible point of light in the night, Xin Lan sat up straight away and grabbed that wrist, breaking it with force. The cry of pain woke up the other two roommates and Xin Lan coldly picked up the knife that had fallen on the bed. The girl went down the stairs and took several steps back at the first moment of pain. Xin Lan got off the bed with the knife and approached the girl. The girl backed away in great panic, hitting a chair in the darkness with an ear-splitting sound. You cant kill me, the hunting time is over now, if you kill me you will be obliterated too. The girls voice trembled, it was dark around her, she couldnt see clearly what was next to her, she was only able to move her position by the placement of things in her memory, she also couldnt see in front of her, but she could feel the pressure power. Not speaking, Xin Lan tugged at the girls arm and jerked her shirt up roughly, slashing off a piece of flesh. The girl let out another seething scream, and Xin Lan impatiently told her to shut up. If you make any more noise, I can guarantee that your head and your body will be separated at the first opportunity when hunting time starts tomorrow. With suppressed anger in her voice, Xin Lan threw the knife on the floor and went back to her bed, covering herself with the blanket. Zero Nine didnt dare to make a sound, understanding that the host had a very strong wake-up call. The reason for her displeasure was probably not that someone was trying to stab her with a knife, but that she had disturbed her sleep. Xiaochun and Zhou Ming Fang were both awake, but neither dared to get out of bed and turn on the light. Xiaochun, however, relaxed a little; the person had done it to themselves and hunting time was over, so they shouldnt do anything to her tonight, straightened her legs and fell into a deep sleep. It was only when Xin Lan got up the next day that she saw the blood and a piece of human flesh on the ground. Her face was fully rested and refreshed from sleep, with only a vague memory of last nights time. One always remembers less clearly what happened when one is awakened during sleep. With little expression, Xin Lan took her toiletries and left the room. Zhou Ming Fang and Xiaochun felt like throwing up when they saw the piece of meat, so they didnt dare to look at it and avoided looking at it. There were quite a few people in the water room and Xin Lan saw Shen Shuiyin. She also happened to see her and gave her a smile. Xin Lan saw that there was an empty seat beside her, so she walked over with the basin in her hand. How was your sleep last night? Shen Shuiyin asked as she washed her hands. Not bad. Xin Lan turned on the tap and squeezed out the toothpaste. I dont know who was shouting in the middle of the night last night, it woke me up. Shen Shuiyin turned off the tap, her words full of probing meaning. I have always slept very well. Xin Lan began to brush her teeth, killing any thought of Shen Shuyi still wanting to talk. As Xin Lan was washing her face, somebody came into the washroom with a pale face and told everyone that a person had died in their dormitory. The man who had died on the first day was a boy, also found in the dormitory the next morning, dead without a sound, without any wounds on his body, looking as if he had fallen asleep, but indeed he was not breathing. And what was even stranger was that the body had disappeared in plain sight. No one knows if only the bodies of those killed by the rules disappear, or if they all disappear whenever they are. Xin Lan poured the water out of the basin and followed the group with it to that dormitory. The door was crowded with people, so Xin Lan put the basin on the wall of the corridor and squeezed in. From the bottom, she couldnt see the person sleeping above her, so she went up to the adjoining bunk and saw a young girl with her eyes closed. An ordinary looking girl, she looked like she was asleep, but her face was deathly pale and her chest did not rise or fall. Xin Lan did not need to look to know that this was already a dead person. Xin Lan looked down, right into line with Shen Shuiyin in the crowd. Already dead. As soon as Xin Lans words fell, faint sobbing sounds came from the crowd. It was the sight of the corpse that sparked everyones fear. Xin Lan didnt leave, she just sat on the edge of the bed. She wanted to see how the body had disappeared, or if it had really disappeared at all. Yesterday it was a boy who had died, and the word had come from the boys side, and no one from the girls had actually seen the body disappear out of thin air out of sight. But the transfer of clue fragments was the rule, and this could not be faked, and because of this, there should be no one who would deliberately transfer the body, but Xin Lan preferred to see it with her own eyes. Some of the people dispersed, but others stayed inside the dormitory. The other three girls living in the dormitory didnt say anything, they just kept their heads down and didnt dare to look at that position, busy with their own things. Even the girl whose bed was occupied by Xin Lan just looked at her and sat down in her chair. Class was at 8:00 and no one wanted to be late. Xin Lan took out her mobile phone and looked at the time, it was now 7:30. Five minutes later, the body in front of her changed. She watched as her body became transparent and finally disappeared completely. Xin Lan touched the bed and there was nothing there. The others also saw the corpse disappear, some covered their mouths, while others did not dare to stay at all and turned to leave. Xin Lan got out of bed and walked out too. Shen Shuiyin was beside her and took two steps after her. I remember that your dormitory and mine are in two directions. Shen Shuiyin should have walked back instead of forward. You seem a bit different from what I imagined. Shen Shuiyin had previously thought that Xin Lan was just a good-looking person who was a bit silly. After all, she had seen Xin Lans appearance when she was in love once a long time ago, when she hadnt broken up with Zou Yun Fei yet and was hooking her arm and pampering him, wanting to go on a weekend date, but Zou Yun Fei had rejected her. The impatience on Zou Yun Feis face was so obvious, but she didnt notice it yet and still persisted. Soon after that, Shen Shuiyin heard that Zou Yun Fei had dumped someone. It was to be expected. But the Xin Lan she saw now was not quite the same as the one she remembered, as though she was much more calm and bold and intelligent. Although it was not as exaggerated as the difference between the two, the difference to her was obvious. Xin Lan did not question her words much, but said something similar but opposite in return. Youre not so different from what I thought you were. What does that mean? Shen Shuiyin became interested and looked into Xin Lans eyes. As smart and good-looking as I thought. This could not be considered perfunctory by Xin Lan, after all, all she knew from the follow-up episode was the smart and good-looking Shen Shuiyin. Shen Shuiyin was a little shocked, but that shock was immediately put away to reveal a nice smile. Shen Shuiyin was so beautiful that she was non-aggressive, like a lotus in water. Thank you for the compliment, you are also very pretty. Beautiful like a fiery red rose, one wanted to offer ones hand to climb and bend it, but was afraid of hurting ones fingers. If theres nothing else, Ill be going back. Goodbye. Zero Nine: Host, arent you the one who wants to poach, why do you feel as if youre not too close to the school bully? Xin Lan: Have you ever seen any villain go and recruit his own minions? Zero Nine: Wake up, host! Xin Lan: I forgot again, but its not a big problem, I can be the last person to live out without poaching. Zero Nine: But our mission qwq Xin Lan: I know, no big deal, in the end all the time, I laid out the clues in front of my ex-boyfriend, first and then told him that we could team up, and then told him it was a lie, let him watch me spell it out a little bit, let him know what it means to have death looming, no one will be able to save him, and a little bit of desperation, when the time comes, he will still be crying out in pain and waiting to die. Xin Lan: This is a kind of abuse of the heart and body, right? Zero Nine: Are you the devil? Zero Nine: But didnt we say wed steal his woman? Xin Lan: Well Xin Lan was walking in front of her with her feet pausing and turned around to see Shen Shuiyin standing in place seemingly pondering something. Seeing her turn around, she gave her the usual smile. What I said Yesterday has always been valid. Good, Ill remember. Shen Shuiyin nodded her head, she also had her own ideas, not intending to tie herself to a team on top, multiple options for multiple paths. The two walked in opposite directions, only to end up meeting again at the bottom of the dormitory building. The two looked at each other and walked forward together, side by side, in silence. Im in class one. Neither persons class had changed much from the original. Did you know the one who died today? From my class, I didnt know him well. I guess we can be in the same class. CH 7 Chapter 7 Hunting legally (Arc 1) The Escape 06 Looking forward to seeing you. Shen Shuiyin said softly. The two didnt speak again after that and walked side by side to the school building, Shen Shuiyin turned around and went into class one, while Xin Lan went back to class three. The bell rang at 8:00 and somebody left the classroom first. It was not compulsory to stay in the classroom during the discussion, after all, it is such a big classroom that it would not be good for conversations to be overheard or clues to be seen, so everyone would find their own place. Did you guys eat breakfast before you came? The others nodded, and Xin Lan rubbed her chin. I havent eaten yet, why dont we go to the cafeteria and discuss it while we eat, as it happens I have something to say to you guys. Zhou Ming Fang thought of something and silently gripped the corner of her coat. She was a little scared. She thought what she would do in case her boy teammates also thought they could break away at any time and steal her clues. Xin Lan bought soy milk and stir-fried noodles, and two small roasted steamed dumplings. While Xin Lan was eating, the other teammates were exchanging information. Zhou Ming Fang said that their girls side had been killed by the rules, while Cai Yang, the small glasses, said that there had been a fight in their boys dormitory last night. A fight? Why? Zhou Ming Fang exclaimed softly, then immediately lowered her voice. Xin Lan listened with interest as she ate her fried noodles, observing the expressions of the crowd. Both Guo Ming of the Youth Acne and Cai Yang didnt look too good when they talked about it, and even Chen Zhihong had a sullen look on his face. It started out as just the dormitory, three boys were on a team, the other one wasnt, the three of them wanted to team up to grab the guys clue, the guy had a teammate too, and by the time they rushed over the guy had been beaten up pretty badly and the team just got into it. This is not the end of it, some people are muddling through, some want to follow suit and suddenly its very chaotic. Guo Ming followed Cai Yangs words, still haunted by the sudden mix-up last night. Luckily the three of us were on the same side and someone tried to come over and we all kicked off and didnt look down and rushed back to the dormitory and locked the door. The clue fragments are of course important, but they also do remember what they have to do to get the clue fragments, it is to survive, so life is more important. It was during the legal hunt, the dead are allowed, they dare not stay more. Luckily you guys didnt go out, the clues are all there, right? Zhou Ming Fang appeared to be relieved and inquired out. The three of them nodded, and Zhou Ming Fangs eyes quietly landed on Xin Lan. Xin Lan is the one who has two fragments, she went out yesterday, so maybe there are more. How was it? Xin Lan took a sip of the soy milk and wiped her mouth with a paper towel from her pocket. I dont know, when we came out at twelve oclock, nothing happened. So it would not be known who actually grabbed it and who did not. By the way, didnt you say you had something you wanted to say to us? Cai Yang looked at Xin Lan, Zhou Ming Fang knew what Xin Lan was probably going to say and his heart twitched up slightly. I plan to quit this team. Why? Whats wrong? Cai Yang looked puzzled, could it be that Xin Lan felt that they were being rather wimpy by hiding during the hunt? Im going to form my own squad, and see you again as a competitor. Xin Lan got up and said goodbye to them. Zhou Ming Fangs eyes were complex, and Cai Yang wanted to say something but was fiercely suppressed by Chen Zhihong. Xin Lan went out of the cafeteria and walked in the direction of the teaching building. What did you just press me for? This type of good-looking but good for nothing, why keep it, and she is the one who is saying that she wants to go, why are you blocking the way?. Chen Zhihong said disdainfully, thinking it is certainly holding on to other people chanting, and also formed their own pair, scoff. Zhou Ming Fang, you and she are in the same dorm, right? Zhou Ming Fang nodded her head. Did something happen last night? Xin Lan she is very strong. Zhou Ming Fang relayed what happened last night, especially the beating she gave when she dragged someone off the bed, and the screams coming from the dormitory in the middle of the night, and the piece of meat on the floor. Zhou Ming Fang said that the other three people are a bit disgusted, Chen Zhihong expression is particularly unattractive, hit in the face quickly, he just said that the other person is worthless. Youre not lying to us, are you? Guo Ming asked with some disbelief. Why would I lie to you guys, we are not a team of pairs, what do I have to gain by lying to you guys? If shes really so capable, how come she didnt beat someone up when she was dumped by Zou Yun Fei? Maybe the loss of love makes people strong? Cai Yang asked rhetorically, everyone a moment of silence. Xin Lan returned to her class straight away. There was a group of people in the class, and when they saw Xin Lan come in, they immediately stopped talking and stared at Xin Lan. She put her textbooks and pens into her bag, and carried them on her back, and walked out of the classroom. After she went out, she heard the conversation again, the content was only about clues and rules, Xin Lan didnt stop her steps and went to the first class. When Xin Lan went in, Shen Shuiyin and the others were not inside, and the people talking were as guarded as before. Xin Lan glanced over and there was an empty seat in the class. In a pile of seats is obviously very abrupt, because the surrounding seats have books on the table, only that one table is clean, there is nothing. Xin Lan put her bag and books on it, and the table top still had the arrangement sheet posted on it, as did every table. She sat there and opened her book. The people around her looked at her a little strangely, and Xin Lan had good hearing and even heard what they said in a lowered voice. Isnt that Xin Lan? How come she came to our class? Is it possible that they are looking for Zou Yunfei? Its impossible, its all broken up. Who knows, after all, this place is so dangerous, it is not impossible for her to come to hug a thigh, yesterday Zou Yunfei won a fight. How many did he take? Not sure. Damn it what to do the more he takes the more we dont have to die. Theres always a way. Xin Lan flipped the book over, it seems that the original owners fame is quite big. Zero Nine: Almost the whole year and teachers know that the original owner was dumped harshly, and many others have gone to mock the original owner afterwards. Xin Lan continues to read the book, if someone is so ungodly in front of her, then simply dont have that mouth. The time for class is coming, everyone is coming back one after another. Shen Shuiyin saw the girl sitting there in her school uniform reading with her head down, combing a ponytail with a curl at the end of her hair, the lines of her side face were exquisite and beautiful, with a lightness of touch. Xin Lan nodded to her, as a greeting. A class of people saw her with different reactions, there is a person with the greatest opinion. Zou Yunfei frowned and looked at Xin Lan sitting there with a disgusted expression. Yunfei, at least she is a beautiful woman, do you have to look like that? Chu Lu looked at Zou Yunfei, and followed his line of sight to look at Xin Lan, and could not help but snicker. Zou Yunfei carefully glanced at Shen Shuiyin next to him, humming unwilling to mention more. Chu Lu saw that he did not say anything, and also did not say anything. The class bell rang and the teacher walked in from outside. From the original owners memory, Xin Lan knew that this was the Language teacher of the first class. He was a middle-aged man, wearing a leather jacket, with a spirited smile on his face. In contrast to him, the students at the end of the class were all listless, like wilted cabbages. No one dared to speak, after all, for fear of being punished by standing in the coffin. Students, open your textbooks and turn to lesson six, today we will study Bai Juyis Pipa Xing together. The classroom rang with the sound of flipping books over to the designated side. But before the lesson there is one more thing, someone still remembers what I set out to review yesterday? The teachers eyes swept over the crowd and got a dead silence. Teacher, its reciting The Difficult Road to Shu. Shen Shuiyin opened her mouth, and the teacher nodded in satisfaction. Anyone volunteered to get up and recite? Everyone wanted to turn to the front to see the contents of the book, but found that the book just seemed to be stuck tightly together, with no way to be turned over. Shen Shuiyin didnt move, pondering whether to stand up. Xin Lan thought of yesterdays clue and raised her hand. The rules didnt seal all the way off, there was still a reward mechanism. In the classroom indiscipline is punished, then in the classroom good behavior, will be rewarded? Where can Xin Lan remember The Difficult Road to Shu, however she has Zero Nine and a superb memory. The teacher smiled and locked eyes with her, gesturing for her to get up. The moment Xin Lan got up, she memorized what Zero Nine had given her in her mind. The eyes of the crowd gathered on her as Xin Lan looked at her teacher and began to recite in a tone without any ups and downs. Yeah (sigh), the danger is high, the difficulty of the Shu Road, harder than going to heaven. The silkworms and fish and eider, the founding of the country how bewildering, you come to forty-eight thousand years, not with the Qin Dynasty, and the people. West when Tai Bai has a road of birds, you can cross the top of the mountain Emei. The earth collapses, the mountain destroys, the brave man dies, and then the sky stairs and rock trestle are linked Well done, I do not know if you have studied today to learn it? The teachers eyes were very satisfied, Xin Lan certainly nodded his head. Zero Nine hurriedly showed her the Pipa Xing, Xin Lan swept through it and continued to start reciting it. Xunyang River at the head of the night to send guests, maple leaves and diaphanous flowers in autumn, the master dismounted the guest in the boat, raised wine to drink without pipes and strings, drunkenness can not be cheerful tragedy will be farewell, farewell to the vast river dipped moon Under the eyes of the peoples surprise, Xin Lan sat down. At the same time, a card fell on her table and made a crisp sound. Those who did not take their eyes back, naturally saw this scene. Xin Lans hand was attached to the card, and the people next to her couldnt have time to see what the card looked like. All students who study seriously will be rewarded, everyone read the text aloud by themselves first. The classroom resounded with the sound of reading, but many people were still looking at Xin Lan, and almost all of them were guessing what Xin Lan was given. Xin Lan took a glance at the contents of the card and curled the corners of her mouth. [Skill Card]: You can obtain a clue fragment of a dead person on any given day, and use it silently during the hunt. Its a reward, but its also limited and not as convenient as the one she obtained last night. The good thing is that you can choose the time yourself, the bad thing is that it is limited to the deceased. This dead person, does it mean that the rules kill, or as long as the person is dead as well? The author has something to say:. Ding, the cards dropped. Crowd: I want to grab it! Sister Lan : [itchy hands] So want to be robbed oh. zero nine: give everyone here the incense first. T/N: muddling through ˮ(hnshumy): to fish in troubled water (idiom); to take advantage of a crisis for personal gain haunted (xnyuyj): to have lingering fears / trepidation remaining after a trauma (idiom) Bai Juyis ׾ (Bi Jy): Bai Juyi (772-846), Tang dynasty poet Pipa Xing (Ppa Xng): Song of the Pipa Player, long poem by Tang poet Bai Juyi CH 8 Chapter 8 Hunting legally (Arc 1) The Escape 08 If the former, then she would need to use the card as soon as possible, or rather, save it for last. As Xin Lan deduced, this kind of game usually has less of the same kind of killing each other in the early stages, everyone is cautious and has the kindness of being human, and in the middle and late stages, everyone will do anything to survive. Those who ended up surviving were all human and not that easy to hunt down, so it was likely that the rules had come into play, but there was no way to be sure that no one would make a move. If it was the former case that the card said the dead were, Xin Lan would want to use it the sooner, but if it was the latter, if several people died in one night, would she get one at random, or could she specify? As well as those that died must have been killed, the clues would be in the hands of the hunters, and even then would they be able to appear in her hands? Xin Lans mind went round and round, and finally looked at the book and read it to herself. There was also a break between classes, and during the break, Xin Lan felt many eyes fall on her, she only met one of them. Shen Shuiyin did not come over, but her expression revealed her thoughts. Yun Fei, shes looking at you, go over and ask. Chu Lu nudged Zou Yun Fei who was next to him, he was also curious in his heart. Im not going to bother going over there. Zou Yun Fei rolled his eyes and didnt even look in that direction. Shen Shuiyan listened to their conversation and laughed in her heart, without even looking at them, she knew that they were looking at her, dont be too self-absorbed, okay? Shen Shuiyan originally thought that Zou Yun Fei was alright, but now he seems to be quite stupid. The actual fact is that you can find a lot of people who are not able to get a good deal on this. The wind was blowing outside the window and the bell rang to announce the end of the morning classes. Xin Lan gathered her clothes together as she went out, the biting cold wind blowing her hair a little. She seemed to be the only one without a team, sitting alone at the table, very visible. Everyone in the first class knew what she had been offered, but what exactly it was, no one knew. Xin Lan finished her lunch and went back to her dormitory to rest. The girl she had beaten up last night and broken the bone in her right hand was not there, the piece of flesh on the floor was still there, its discolouration had changed and the air smelled like anything of decay. Xin Lan took a broom and shovel and dumped the piece in the bin outside, yawning and preparing for her nap. Seeing this, Zhou Ming Fang swallowed the words she wanted to ask. That Xin Lan Xiaochun called out timidly, and Xin Lan looked up, gesturing for her to speak. Tao Ling wasnt in class today. Tao Ling was the girls name. Xin Lan nodded disinterestedly to show she knew, and lay down on her bed to start napping. Xin Lan was fast asleep, and within a few moments her steady breathing could be heard. Zhou Ming Fang and Xiao Chun looked at each other and Xiao Chun retreated, while Zhou Ming Fangs eyes fell on the pile of clothes not far from her. Xin Lan had placed her jacket and other clothes at her feet, where she could just reach out and touch them. Zhou Ming Fang tried to extend her hand, but suddenly came to her senses. She struck a pinch on herself and grimaced in pain. There was someone else here, and even if there wasnt, the thought of Xin Lans almost brutal way of beating people up wouldnt have dared her to steal it. The evening bell rang and it was time to hunt again. Xin Lan proceeded to wash and shampoo her hair, and as she took the hair dryer to blow her hair, Zero Nines voice rang out in her head, and at the same time she turned and smashed the hair dryer on the head of the person who had come. That girl took the pain and immediately ran away again. Zero Nine: Why did she run so fast? Xin Lan: Shes a coward. Presumably, she was unskilled at this and ran away when the sneak attack failed, rather than thinking of a counterattack. Luckily, she didnt think of a counterattack, otherwise it wouldnt have been as simple as a blow dryer hitting her head. Xin Lan finished blow-drying her hair, tied it into a low ponytail, put the basin back in the dormitory, and after washing and drying her clothes, she went out again. For once the dormitory corridor was occupied and Xin Lan did not jump out so flamboyantly, but took the stairs. This extraction seemed to be very evenly split between the top gender, two hundred boys and two hundred girls, and the deaths were also very evenly split, with the boys dying on the first day and the girls on the second. The ground floor was a ten room dormitory, so floors one to five were occupied. Xin Lan went down the stairs and out of the girls dormitory. The teaching building had a total of five floors; Xin Lan didnt know about the others, but there were ten classes on the third floor, where everyone concentrated their activities. This time she looked from the first floor and found that the first to last floor were all in one pattern, three on the left and three on the right, with only six classrooms. She went up to the third floor and found that it was five on the left and five on the right. When she went in, she found that the classrooms had become smaller, and it turned out that the school layout was like that on the first and first floors. Xin Lan had gone up to the fourth and fifth floors and found the same situation as on the first and second floors. The doors were locked and the glass windows were barred. She leaned over the glass and looked inside, but could not see anything in the dark. Instead of trespassing, she chose to go back to the third floor. Her hand pressed against the window and with a nimble movement she flipped over and landed on the table, wiping her footprints clean on the way down. She went over to the wall and pressed on the light. Instead, a hand covered the back of hers, obviously moving a step slower. Xin Lan turned her head and saw an innocent, pretty face. What a coincidence. Shen Shuiyan said. Xin Lan nodded her head without saying anything, the classroom was a public place, anyone could come. She glanced around, not missing a single corner, but didnt find anything out of the ordinary. Could it be that there was nothing in this classroom? Xin Lan glanced at Shen Shuiyan behind her and prepared to climb out of the classroom through the window. Shen Shuiyan called out to her, her expression a little hesitant. Why dont you go out through the door, its not locked. Xin Lans movement froze, she was thinking habitually again. Xin Lan calmly got off the chair, patted her footprints and pulled the door open. Shen Shuiyan stifled a laugh as she followed her, inexplicably finding Xin Lans look just now adorable. Xin Lan went to the other classrooms and poked around, again not finding anything. Are you looking for something? No, taking a casual look. Xin Lan had looked through all ten classrooms on this floor and found nothing. What made you think of coming to this side of the classroom? Xin Lan made sure that there was no one else in the building but her and Shen Shuiyan, and asked casually. I followed you here. Xin Lan looked fixedly at Shen Shuiyin, who looked back with a smile. Its just that youre obviously ahead of me and actually came later than me, did you go to see the other floors? Hmm. There was nothing to hide from Xin Lan about this kind of thing that she knew on first thought. Did you find anything? Xin Lan shook her head, and Shen Shuiyan didnt ask any more questions. I thought you would ask about the incident during the day. Xin Lan once again gave Shen Shuiyan a good look, she was obviously curious too. Then you will talk? I only speak to my companions. That means I still have a chance to hear it. In the middle of the conversation, the mutual meaning had been conveyed. Shen Shuiyan was ready to go back to her dormitory, after all, it was better to sleep in the comfort of her bed, but she saw Xin Lan walking in the opposite direction. Where are you going? To look elsewhere. But the rules say that the only areas where you can move around during the hunt are the dormitory and the school building. Shen Shuiyan intended to stop her, it would be too risky to go in an unknown situation. Then why is there such a restriction, how can we know if we dont see it? Xin Lan didnt stop in her tracks, she never lacked the spirit of looking for death. The first time Xin Lan started playing a low-ranking boss, she knew that doing that was waiting to be retaliated by the protagonist, but she couldnt not do it, that was her duty as a villain. Shen Shuiyan looked at her back and thought for a moment to follow. The boys and girls dormitories were on both sides of the school building, and Xin Lans direction was leading to the cafeteria. This high school was well landscaped, with trees planted on both sides of the street. From the school building to the canteen, one has to pass through a small path with small woods on either side of it. The school had street lights, which were lit up at night, but now only the one on the path to the dormitory building was not lit up, and the one on this side of the grove was dark. Xin Lan was standing in front of the path, and there seemed to be a layer of hazy mist in front of her, which hindered ones vision even more in the night. Faintly, she seemed to hear some kind of sound. Cant it be walked over? Shen Shuiyan trailed up and saw Xin Lan stop at the intersection and look towards the inside for a moment. Did you hear anything? Sound? No. Shen Shuiyan shook her head and stared to listen after she finished. Theres nothing. She said it again to make sure she didnt hear it. Wait it seems like someone is singing? Someones singing. Their voices overlapped, adding a bit of eerie atmosphere to the darkness. The two looked at each other, still in doubt, when the song became clearer and clearer. A childrens song familiar to all, the voice was that of a teenager. Two tigers, two tigers, running fast, running fast, one without eyes, one without ears, how strange, how strange. There was clapping and laughter, which gave a very unpleasant feeling in the silent campus K. Xin Lan saw the sight in the black mist and her pupils dilated. It was two people singing, or could no longer be called people, and one of them was the same one Xin Lan had seen watching disappear this morning. A man and a woman, singing a childrens song from their mouths. The tone is cheerful and they clap their hands. One of them had no eyes, empty sockets and a wide grin that looked completely oozing, the other had no ears, both sides were bare, and was also smiling. They stared at Xin Lan and Shen Shuiyan, and Xin Lan didnt even have time to shout, grabbing Shen Shuiyans hand and running back. The childrens song was still being hummed, growing clearer and clearer, seemingly ringing in their ears. Shen Shuiyan was pulled forward and ran, somewhat out of breath. It should have been quick to reach the school building, but it was as if that path had been extended. Two tigers, two tigers, running fast, running fast, one without eyes, one without ears, how strange, how strange The song became increasingly strident, with a playful edge to the last two lines. C What the author has to say: Ghost: Two Tigers Xin Lan: Its too hard to hear, shut up. Ghost: give some face siste CH 9 Chapter 9 Hunting legally (Arc 1) The Escape 09 Xin Lan ran forward, holding the cold hand of Shen Shuiyan in her hand. Zero Nine: Host, the space dimension has been extended, but its not a ghostly wall, you continue to run forward, you can reach the end. Xin Lan didnt panic, hearing this made her even more calm, leading Shen Shuiyuan to continue running forward. Shen Shuiyan, not knowing what the hell was behind her, refrained from turning around and struggled to move her legs, except that unlike Xin Lan, who could jump from the fourth floor unharmed, she was soon gasping for breath and had to rely on Xin Lans pull to move forward. The song seemed to drift away for a long time. Xin Lan turned back, only to see empty eyes and that smile that was full of malice. Xin Lan pushed Shen Shuiyan forward, turned and kicked the eyeless ghost in the body, sending him a metre away. Shen Shuiyan stumbled a little and began to take off her thick coat. The biting cold wind made her shiver as she took it off, and she couldnt feel the cold before she swung the garment at the earless ghost, covering her face and also kicking her in the face. Without stopping, the two immediately continued to run forward. There was only one road, and there was no other way but to keep moving forward. Shen Shuiyan ran faster without her cotton jacket in the way. The song was far away and coming closer, it should have been a cute childrens song, but at this time it was like a death sentence. Xin Lan saw the staircase of the school building and took Shen Shuiyan into it with three or two steps. The moment they stepped on it, all sounds disappeared, leaving only the sound of Shen Shuiyan gasping for air. Its safe? Shen Shuiyan wiped the sweat from her forehead and looked right back out. There was a blackness as far as the eye could see, and Xin Lan told her to wait, took a step out, saw the blue and white face, and retracted her foot as if nothing had happened. Its still out there. I thought this was a survival game, but I didnt expect there to be spiritual elements. Shen Shuiyan wiped her sweat, her eyebrows furrowed in silence. I caused this. I followed it voluntarily. The wind whistled over and Shen Shuiyan shivered. She tossed the tissue into a nearby bin and smiled at Xin Lans good stamina. Its too cold, lets go up first. Xin Lan looked at Shen Shuiyan smiling but with bluish lips and gestured to go to the third floor. They arrived in class one, which was not quite as nice and warm, but it was better than being out in the wind. That might be the punishment I have triggered to come. The rules gave punishments for any mistakes, and Xin Lan thought she had gone with the intention of entering the no-go zone, so she had been driven out and was not allowed to leave the school building anymore. But this inability to leave must be temporary. Will the punishment go away when the hunt is over? It might, and it definitely will before classes start tomorrow. The rules are too sinister. The activity was curtailed to the dormitory and the school building, forcing people to kill each other. Xin Lan frowned as she watched Shen Shuiyuan stand there shivering unconsciously. The temperature at night was cold and Shen Shuiyans cotton jacket was removed, with only a single long sleeve underneath, so if she stayed here all night, she would definitely get sick. Xin Lan unzipped her own feather jacket and waved at Shen Shuiyan. Shen Shuiyan pointed at herself and was a little surprised. But she did not resist and walked over. Xin Lan sat cross-legged on the floor with a book cushioning her, and Shen Shuiyan pressed herself into her arms. Xin Lan gathered her clothes together and put her arms around Shen Shuiyans waist, transferring her warmth over. The beautys waist that entered her hands was so thin that Xin Lan couldnt help but tighten it. Xin Lan actually had a concealed attribute of waist control, so deep that she actually didnt notice it herself. She just quietly tightened and loosened her arms at the moment, and couldnt help but tighten them again. Shen Shuiyan didnt notice the difference as she leaned on Xin Lans shoulder, smelling the scent of her shampoo. It was clean, warm and soft. Shen Shuiyan and Xin Lan pressed against each other and felt the suppleness of her chest. Squeezing each other delivered a wonderful never-before felt sensation. Her body was so warm Shen Shuiyan thought in some daze. Did you stay in Zou Yun Feis group because of his force value? Well, I do not interact with him much. In fact Shen Shuiyan didnt hang out with anyone much, and the two students who normally crossed each other more often were not chosen for this game. She hadnt figured out even now why they, of the four hundred people, had been chosen to enter, was it just a random selection of bad luck? Ill go and grab someone from him tomorrow then. Xin Lan looked like she had thought of something funny and showed a smile. Zero Nine winced at the look on her face and silently gave that ex-boyfriend a light dose of candlelight. Hmm? Shen Shuiyan was a little puzzled, a guess surfaced in her mind, a little stunned, but it wasnt impossible when she thought about it. Im better at fighting than him, so you can be on my side, right? I dont think Im important to you. Shen Shuiyan said as she pressed herself against Xin Lan, feeling her heartbeat. Although Xin Lan had been recruiting her from the start, she really didnt get the impression that Xin Lan had much of a fancy for her. I like to deal with smart people, follow me if you want to live, I will be the winner in the end. Xin Lan said this with arrogance, but with certainty. Even if she is the villain every time, and even if she ends up dead, she is the biggest boss who has reckoned with the protagonist countless times, and even if she chooses to forget those memories, what she has honed out one battle at a time is the iron will of a soldier. Shen Shuiyan leaned on her shoulder, the light in her eyes brightening and fading. Why do I think you just want to find a chance to give Zou Yun Fei a beating? Thinking of their past, Shen Shuiyan couldnt help but chuckle softly. In that laughter, it also indicated her answer. Thats one side of the story, Im not letting him out of the house. Xin Lan admitted with a big, unconcerned grin. Hate him that much? Not really, hes not worth that much for me to put in my heart, its just that people always pay for what theyve done. Xin Lan looked out the window into the darkness and remembered those empty eyes. What would happen if you left your ex-boyfriend out there to play with ghosts? It felt oh so interesting. Zero Nine felt like she could just erect a stele to her ex-boyfriend, glancing at the two people hugging each other in a female entertainer posture and continuing to catch up on the drama in silence. The classroom wall clock made a slight sound as the air quieted down. She was feeling the warmth and smelling the fragrance of Xin Lans body, and Shen Shuiyan had a faint sense of sleep. She was not sleepy, but her face had a steely coldness in the dark night. She did not take a sitting position anymore, but lay down, and Shen Shuiyan lay facing her, with one hand on Xin Lans body. The long wait was the most boring, and Zero Nine enthusiastically asked Xin Lan if she wanted to watch the drama with her. Zero Nine: Host Ive recently been catching up on The Overbearing President. I am in love with you, its pretty good. Xin Lan: The president? Zero Nine: We are the system, of course the Big Shot in the system is the Chief C President. Xin Lan: Rejected, it sounds like dropping intelligence. Zero Nine: Im telling you about the plot, this is the history of the promotion of the Unified System! The story is about a newcomer, who relies on his wisdom to bring in one excellent host after another, jumping through several departments, and finally reaching the top of the unified life, becoming the president and marrying his goddess! Xin Lan: Lets watch it together then. Its also boring, and Xin Lan watched TV dramas together, and found that those unis acted quite well. But is the System so idle that it has time to make dramas? To her question, Zero Nine gave a detailed answer. Zero Nine: When the cumulative tasks as well as the qualification rate reaches a standard, our system is able to choose to retire, some will make movies, and some will also commit to various tasks as NPCs to play. Xin Lan: Does becoming an NPC give you the memory of being a system? Zero Nine: Of course not, otherwise it would be easy to interfere with the world. Xin Lan gets her answer and continues to watch the drama with Zero Nine. At twelve oclock, the bell rang, announcing the end of hunting time. Shen Shuiyan opened her eyes and moved away from Xin Lans body. The sudden loss of warmth made her brow furrow. Xin Lan pulled her clothes back on and, looking at Shen Shuiyans appearance, stepped forward and took her hand. The tenderness in her hand made Shen Shuiyan unable to resist glancing at Xin Lan. The moonlight outside the window allowed her to see that pretty face clearly, the expression on that face was flat, pulling her outside. A strange feeling flushed through her heart, very slightly, and Shen Shuiyan thought that it must be because it was too cold outside and Xin Lans hands were too warm. Xin Lan walked outside, and she could not see the two ghosts anymore. She took a few steps forward, saw Shen Shuiyans cotton jacket on the ground and picked it up. Shen Shuiyan held it in her hands and did not put it on. She thought of the jacket that had just covered the head of the earless ghost, so she didnt want to wear it. Luckily, the dormitory was not far from the school building, so Shen Shuiyan and Xin Lan jogged back, and arrived in no time. The two of them went up the stairs from the same side, this side of the stairs was closer to Shen Shuiyans dormitory. Ill see you tomorrow. Shen Shuiyan waved her hand at Xin Lan, who nodded. The knock on the door rang out in the night, and Shen Shuiyan knocked several times, but no one opened the door for her. She knocked a few more times, but the person inside the door seemed determined to play dead, but would not open the door. A cold smile appeared on Shen Shuiyans face, and she knocked twice more with great patience. Why dont you go sleep in my dormitory? Xin Lan didnt leave from the moment she knocked on the door, and when she saw that Shen Shuiyans dormitory didnt opened the door, she opened her mouth and said. Thanks then. Its nothing. Xin Lan knocked on the door and within a moment someone came to open it, first discreetly showing a crack and pulling it open when she saw it was Xin Lan. Xiaochun glanced curiously at Shen Shuiyan behind Xin Lan and went back to her bed. Tao Ling also returned, her right hand splinted and her left hand bandaged as she sat on her own bed. Xin Lan got into bed and undressed. Shen Shuiyan put her cotton jacket on the chair and undressed into Xin Lans bed as well, and they both lay under the same covers. Before I go to sleep, I have something very important to say to you. Xin Lan lay down a little further in and looked at Shen Shuiyan seriously. What? Dont wake me up randomly, I dont want to wake up tomorrow morning to see you missing an arm or a leg. Shen Shuiyan: This is intimidation, right? Its intimidation, right? - What the author has to say: The real identity of the school bully has emerged! If you like Sister Lan, please pick it up, I want to hire an army of water for Sister Lan, as follows: Sister Lan is the most handsome Little Wu is the most offensive (this article is 50 cents) hahahahaha hiccups! T/N: as if nothing had happened. (ruwqsh): as if nothing had happened (idiom); calmly / nonchalantly kill each other. ɱ (zxingcnsh): to massacre one another (idiom); internecine strife force (wl): military force stele (bi): A stele, or occasionally stela, when derived from Latin, is a stone or wooden slab, generally taller than it is wide, erected in the ancient world as a monument. The surface of the stele often has text, ornamentation, or both. These may be inscribed, carved in relief, or painted. Stelae were created for many reasons CH 10 Chapter 10 Hunting Legally The Escape 10 Xin Lan had a rising feeling, a very, very strong rising feeling. This not only reacted in the real world, but also in the mission world. Xin Lan was not like this before, but in the original intergalactic world where she was still alive, when she was on a mission and had not slept for almost six days, and her body had reached its limit after strengthening, she had a very strong rising feeling. Anyone who disturbed her sleep would be killed or injured. It was the first time that Shen Shuiyan had slept with someone in the same bed, and Xin Lans scent made her a little uncomfortable. The person beside her was breathing steadily and was already asleep. Shen Shuiyan was a little envious of this quality of sleep, and since she couldnt move, she combed through her mind for clues. One had to live. This strange game, the strange teachers, the forced killing of each other, the ghosts in the forbidden area, what else could there be? Why were they chosen, and will they really die in reality too after dying in the game? Shen Shuiyan planned a lot in her head and unknowingly she actually fell asleep. She woke up the next day to the ringing of her alarm clock, and she opened her eyes to find that her position was not quite the same as it was before she went to bed last night. It had changed from lying on her side to lying on her stomach, with half of Xin Lans body leaning against hers, her hand resting on her waist, frowning slightly because of the ringing. Her eyelashes twitched and those eyes opened. Shen Shuiyans breath was slightly stalled for a moment, and it was difficult to describe the pair of eyes that she saw. With a piercing sharpness, as if a knife stabbed into ones heart, one could not help but remember the alarm sound in ones heart and feel the danger of wanting to back away. The feeling of tingling was only momentary and disappeared in a short while. Xin Lan had a peaceful day. She was alone, unaware of what was going on on the boys side, with no one to exchange information with. Everyone hid away and communicated on their own. Xin Lan was excluded, but she didnt mind. She was waiting for the night, and tonight she was going to do something important. Something she had wanted to do since the first day she had entered the place. Xin Lans hand traced over the wooden chair, giving a smiling look to it. Can one break public property, I wonder, and if one uses the chair as a weapon, will one receive any punishment from the rules? Xin Lan nodded at the chair, but unfortunately there was nothing else to take advantage of as a weapon. She just hoped she wouldnt get too excited at that time. The night came as planned. Xin Lan arrived at the door of the boys dormitory and lifted her leg and walked in. Some boys who were about to go back to their dormitory saw her and were a little startled. Xin Lan had already asked for Zero Nine Zou Yun Feis dorm number and walked straight to her destination. The door to Zou Yun Feis dormitory was unlocked and wide open, with three people sitting inside. The smell of a boys dormitory hit her nose and Xin Lan couldnt help but frown. Xin Lan? Chu Lu saw Xin Lan and called out in surprise. Zou Yun Fei looked up and stood up with a frown. What are you doing here? Theres something I want to talk to you about. Xin Lan walked into Zou Yun Feis dormitory, the light shining brighter on that pretty face. Zou Yun Fei let out a snort of laughter, and behind him Chu Lu and Zhou Zhou also made playful noises as they thought of something. Its a little late to be offering flattery, get lost. Zou Yun Fei looked at that beautiful face a little shaken, after talking for so many days, he still hadnt tasted her yet. Only Zou Yun Fei thought of Shen Shuiyan and still definitely declined. If something really happened to Xin Lan, everyone would have to know about it, and how would Shen Shuiyan look at him then. Hey, Yun Fei, even if you dont like it, dont treat other girls so badly, isnt our team still not full anyway? Chu Lus words were heavily slapped by Zhou Zhou who was next to him. Only you brat thinks a lot, what, your heart is moved? Zou Yun Fei gave him a cross look, even if he didnt like Xin Lan anymore, his own brother went to pick up his own broken shoes, how strange it felt to think about it. Well at least its a big beauty isnt it, its not strange that Chu Lu has such thoughts, why dont you just satisfy the girls mind. Zhou Zhou scowled at Zou Yun Fei, who was silent for a moment and thought it would be okay. Xin Lan looked at the faces of the three men who were lost in their own fantasies and felt a little amused. The word get lost is never spoken by me to others, who are you? Xin Lan smiled at Zou Yun Fei, with mockery and contempt. Zero Nine: Three out of ten yuan to match a key, is he worthy? He is not worthy. Chu Lu and Zhou Zhous laughter stopped abruptly and they looked at Xin Lan in surprise. I came to say to you, Im taking Shen Shuiyan away, just a trashy thing like you is not worthy of being her teammate. Xin Lan said this with a smile in her tone as well, but her words belittled Zou Yun Fei to the extreme. Zero Nine looked at this scene and thought that the host might be having another sudden attack of villainous occupational disease. What do you mean? Zou Yun Feis face sank as he looked at the young girl standing in front of him. Throwing away his original preconceptions, the Xin Lan standing in front of him seemed very different from the girl who had cried in front of him before. It means that you are a waste. Xin Lan raised a smile, and after she said that, she moved. She kicked Zou Yun Fei in the stomach without mercy, and Zou Yun Fei fell to the ground with a muffled grunt. Her sudden blow stunned both Zou Yun Fei and Zhou Zhou, but the two men immediately reacted. Zou Yun Fei had been kicked to the ground by Xin Lan? Zou Yun Fei cursed and stood up from the ground, looking at Xin Lan with more of a measuring look in his eyes. The kick he had just received had almost made him vomit, it was definitely not the strength that a delicate girl could kick with. Xin Lan crooked her hand at Zou Yun Fei and turned her palm into a claw, grabbing Zou Yun Feis hand and pulling him forward, while bending her leg and kicking at Zou Yun Feis body. Zou Yun Fei was prepared and blocked with his arm. Xin Lan withdrew her leg and Zou Yun Fei jolted back a few steps, his arm tingling. Dont think I dont hit women. Zou Yun Fei gritted his teeth and flung his arm. Speaking as if you are capable of fighting. Xin Lan hooked her lips and said playfully. Zou Yun Fei could not bear it. He did not care whether she was a woman or not and threw a punch at Xin Lan. Xin Lan dodged it, and the two of them fought in the not so spacious dormitory, exchanging punches and elbows. Zou Yun Fei was indeed a good fighter, but he was not good enough for Xin Lan. She slammed the man over her shoulder to the ground and was pulled back again by a pulled leg, with one foot secured and thrown back to the ground. Ignoring the pain in her body, Xin Lans eyes grew bright as she grabbed Zou Yun Fei by the collar and punched him in the stomach, throwing him to the ground. She gasped for breath but grinned. Get up, come again. Anyone could see the excitement in her smile, and Zou Yun Fei unconsciously got a chill down his spine, while feeling a vague pain in his body. He had a broken appearance, a fist mark over his eye, the corner of his mouth was broken, there were bruises on his face, and those areas that werent exposed werent much better, he could feel his legs and stomach hurting. Did she turn into Popeye from eating spinach? The entire person is a lunatic. Arent you a good fighter? Get up. The tip of Xin Lans tongue pressed against her palate and she felt her body heat up. The feeling of blood in the brain and adrenaline spiking should not be too good. Zero Nine: Host, dont beat people to death, think about the mission! Think about the mission now! Zero Nine was hoarse from shouting and felt that she could not persuade anymore, she was afraid that Zou Yun Fei could not take the beating, in case the host failed, they would fail in this mission of theirs. Xin Lan was controlling the situation, if she had wanted to kill Zou Yun Fei, would Zou Yun Fei still be able to breathe? Zou Yun Fei had been beaten like this in front of his brothers, had lost his face, and Xin Lan was provoking him, so it would be unreasonable for him to chicken out. His eyes swept around and the moment he climbed up he grabbed the wooden chair and smashed it towards Xin Lan. Xin Lan used her arm to block and snatched the chair back with her backhand and swung it at Zou Yun Feis body. Zou Yun Fei was knocked out of the way and the wooden chair snapped. When Chu Lu and Zhou Zhou saw this, one rushed to help and the other blocked in front of Xin Lan. Xin Lan, over ah, you want to beat someone to death? Chu Lu saw clearly the force value of Xin Lan and gulped, remembering his previous words, his intestines turned green with regret, although he stood in front of Xin Lan, his heart was committing mutterings, afraid that Xin Lan would knock the broken chair to his head. He didnt know what was wrong with Xin Lan, she was suddenly becoming a monster. So what if I beat someone to death, its during the hunt and I wont be punished for anything. Xin Lan said indifferently, an attitude that made people even more alarmed. But killing is against the law, wont your conscience be bothered if you get out? Dont forget who he and I are, hes the one who dumped me, why would my conscience be bothered if I killed him? Doesnt a scumbag who plays with his feelings deserve to die? Xin Lan narrowed her eyes and asked rhetorically, there was no smile on her face, only indifference and disgust. Chu Lu opened his mouth, not knowing what to say. I dont even dislike him for being filthy, and he dares to dislike me? Xin Lan said this on behalf of the original owner, even though the original owner didnt think so. It was true that the original owner had fallen in love a few times, and that she had dumped the person each time, but she hadnt gone to someone with the idea of playing around. Putting that aside, the words that Zou Yun Fei said when he broke up with the original owner were human words? Are you looking for a girlfriend to get free sex? A girlfriend? If she doesnt want to open her legs, is she considered noble? I guess being willing is being a whore, right? Xin Lan pushed Chu Lu away from her body and dragged the broken chair to Zou Yun Feis front. The chair scratched the ground with a sound, as if it was a prelude to death. Zou Yun Fei looked so wretched that his head was a little unclear from the beating he had received. Xin Lan stood in front of him and bent down. Convinced? Zou Yun Fei gritted his teeth and looked at Xin Lan with a shadowy pair of eyes. Not convinced, huh? Xin Lan murmured, her expression tinged with some distress. Then Ill just beat you until youre convinced. Xin Lan said with a smirk, raising the chair in her hand. What the author has to say: The sexy sister Lan, beating people online. Zero Nine: selling melon seeds and beer drinks ah, coming here to give a little kich ah T/N: rising feeling (qchungq): grumpiness associated with poor sleep / irritability in the morning the forced killing of each other ɱ (zxingcnsh): to massacre one another (idiom); internecine strife broken shoes Ь (pxi): loose woman / slut could not bear it ǿ벻(shkrn, shbkrn): if this can be tolerated, what cannot? (idiom) / enough is enough just in case you dont know who Popeye is: ˮ (Dl Shushu): Popeye (the Sailor) I love that the two idiots just stood and watched the scumbag get beaten black and blue CH 11 Chapter 11 Hunting Legally The Escape 11 The devil, this woman must be the devil. When Zou Yun Fei saw Xin Lans smile, the hairs on his back stood up and he felt a sense of dread. He would die, he really would die. Zou Yun Fei couldnt help but step back, displaying a bit of cowardice. It wasnt that he wanted to chicken out, he was naturally not defeated, but the pain in his body told him that he would end up very badly if he was beaten again. How could this happen? How could Xin Lan be so powerful. It was obvious that before that she was just a girl who only cried and wailed. Xin Lan put a chair against Zou Yun Feis head and thought about where she could start without killing the man. There was a cracking sound coming from behind, and without thinking, Xin Lan used the chair to slap back while her body swayed, dodging the attack from behind. Could be, playing sneak attack? Xin Lan turned sideways and saw Chu Lu, who was holding a chair. Chu Lu put the chair down and swallowed a mouthful of saliva. He had a feeling that he was about to receive a severe beating. Zou Yun Feis eyes darkened, originally he wanted Chu Lu to knock Xin Lan unconscious, so that Xin Lan wouldnt be left to do whatever she wanted, but it turned out that Xin Lan was so alert that she actually dodged before Chu Lus attack even landed on her body. Xin Lan was in the thrill of the fight right now, and she was naturally happy to have someone deliver. She dropped the chair in her hand, fearing that something might happen later. One step closer she came, and Chu Lu backed up one step at a time. Dont sis can I call you sis lets talk about it. Chu Lu was laughing harder than he was crying, raw and hopeless. He couldnt even beat Zou Yun Fei, so how could he possibly beat Xin Lan? Thinking of that perverse look on Xin Lans face just now, beating people to death and still smiling, Chu Lu wanted to cry without tears. If the heavens could have given him another chance, he would not have lifted that chair. Xin Lan threw a punch and his ponytail waved in the air. Chu-Lu couldnt move, and backed up repeatedly until he hit something on his back and stumbled a little. Xin Lan seized the opportunity to kick him in the calf, hitting the soft part of Chu Lus body as she ached, and Chu Lu was unable to dodge it and simply took it on the chin instead. The punch grazed Xin Lans cheek and Xin Lan grabbed it with her hand and gave it another vicious twist. Chu Lu let out a miserable scream and dropped half to his knees, his right hand hanging limply down. Its not broken, so dont scream so loud. Xin Lan was startled by Chu Lus scream and huffed. She didnt need to get her hands dirty, these people would die sooner or later. There were some who werent too guilty, but misfortune had befallen them the moment they were pulled into this game. Xin Lan turned around and looked at Zou Yun Fei who was sitting very silently on the ground. Zhou Zhou had long been frightened by her brutality, so how could he dare to stop her, and somewhat uneasily moved to the side. If its only a teammate thing, I admit I cant beat you, so you can go now, right? Zou Yun Fei was upset, but there was nothing he could do about it. The truth of the matter was that he was being pinned down and beaten by Xin Lan, with no ability to fight back, and if this continued, he would probably be dead. If Xin Lan wants Shen Shuiyan it will be fine, its not like the team cant change again in the future anyway. If Xin Lan didnt get him killed here today, he had to be prepared for his revenge afterwards. It was the first time in his life that Zou Yun Fei had been so miserable, and this humiliation had been inflicted by someone he had once despised. But a man can give in and take out, so admitting defeat first wont matter. How could Xin Lan not see his reluctance to go, she sneered. Who said I was leaving? I beat you before because I wanted to prove that I could beat you, to prove that you were a loser, and you just admitted defeat, so that means you admit it? Xin Lan, dont go too far! Am I going too far? Thats funny to you, is it the plain truth and still you wont let it be said? Xin Lan mocked lightly, feeling an unparalleled pleasure. Although it didnt end well for her, it was still a great time to be a mouthy villain. Now that she was the protagonist, she could be a snarky one and still live to see these people struggle and die, which was great. She was starting to like being the protagonist. Zou Yun Fei, look at you, you cant even beat a woman. Looking at the scum ex-boyfriends green and black face, Xin Lan laughed even more happily. We havent finished settling our accounts, we just finished settling the matter of changing teammates, what we had before, what you owe me, you havent finished paying it back, lets forget it today, seeing as you cant get up in this condition, in case I slip up and kill you, wouldnt there be no more fun behind us. Xin Lan clapped her hands and patted the dust on herself. The original owners anger at having her feelings played with and at having her death disregarded was not yet out of Xin Lans mind. The next time she was angry, it would be more than just a beating, and she would take the pieces of his clue. Zou Yun Fei clenched his fists in anger as he watched Xin Lans back as she left. Xin Lan went out of the boys dormitory and saw Shen Shuiyan standing there under a tree not far away. Maybe it was because the weather was too cold, Shen Shuiyan had a black scarf around her neck, which increasingly set off the whiteness of her skin. Why are you here? Xin Lan was a little surprised, Shen Shuiyan was obviously waiting for her, but she hadnt told her that she would be coming to the boys dormitory tonight. I saw you walking in this direction and knew you should have gone to look for someone. Shen Shuiyin was relieved to see that Xin Lan was fine, and was surprised that she had walked out of the boys dormitory unharmed, but on second thought, it was not like Xin Lan to be blindly confident and thus reckless. Although Shen Shuiyan didnt quite believe that Xin Lan could beat Zou Yun Fei, she had a vague feeling that it could be true. Now youre my teammate. Actually, its fine for me to go and talk to him, no need for you to go to such trouble. Shen Shuiyan was hesitant at first. Although she was very fond of Xin Lan, she had not completely decided to side with her, she had actually thought of asking Xin Lan to join her and Zou Yun Fei directly, but thought that according to Xin Lans character, she must not be willing to do so. Even if you talk to him, hell still come after me, sooner or later, so its better to settle it quickly, and there is more than just a grudge between me and him. For Xin Lan, it would be better to beat up early than late, so it would be worthwhile to beat up one more time. Come on, lets go back. Just go back to the dormitory? Shen Shuiyan thought Xin Lan would still want to go to the teaching building once more. En, go back. Xin Lan was covered in sweat from all the activities she had done tonight, she just wanted to go back and take a shower now. Shen Shuiyan nodded, she had only come to see how Xin Lan was doing, it was good that she was alright. Xin Lan and Shen Shuiyin walked along the path towards the girls dormitory, but after two minutes of walking, she stopped, and so did Shen Shuiyan beside her. Somethings not right. Xin Lan looked around. Weve been gone for two minutes, and I did the math when I came, we shouldnt still be in this place right now. Shen Shuiyan said in a deep voice. I suspect we may have met the same situation as last time. Xin Lan recalled that when she had walked into the forbidden range yesterday and returned, the path had been stretched out indefinitely like this. Zero Nine: Host, indeed it is what you think, the spatial dimension has been elongated again and unidentified spatial fluctuations have been detected, you may enter an alien dimension in a moment. But we obviously didnt do anything this time, this is the range of activity, so why is this happening, is it because girls arent allowed on the boys side of the dorm? If that was the case, then the rules were too perverse, it wasnt being explicitly stated. I dont know, we should walk to see first, if its really what you say, then we definitely cant turn back, we can only go and see whats at the end of the road. Xin Lan said so, and Shen Shuiyan nodded, that was all that could be done. The stone-paved path was foggy on both sides. Xin Lan walked for a few minutes before turning back again to find the road behind her also hidden in the mist, too hazy to see. Theres light ahead. Shen Shuiyan looked away, but her tone was not one of elation. People are always inclined to light, and in darkness or in situations like this, they would be happy to see light, but Shen Shuiyan could not be happy, because the light was not like the dormitory building, and in this weird situation, who knew what the destination would be? The pair moved forward towards the place where there was light and passed through the door of light. As expected by the two people, the area behind the light door was not a nice place. A plain, shabby classroom with two lights on, with desks and chairs still broken and piled up in the corner. Xin Lan turned around and the light source that had just been there had disappeared. When Xin Lan came in, there were already three people sitting inside the classroom, looking coldly at her and Shen Shuiyan beside her. The place is full, so the game can start, right? The person who spoke was a teenager in a school uniform, and Xin Lan took a look at it, it wasnt from the same school as the one on her school uniform. What game? Were not quite sure whats going on, can we talk about it? Shen Shuiyan and Xin Lan looked at each other and asked the teenager who had spoken. Beauties always have privileges, especially when its two beauties in front of them, and that teenagers face eased up a lot. I assume you were also pulled into an inexplicable game of 400, the teenager paused for a moment, seeing Xin Lan and Shen Shuiyan nod before continuing, All three of us, and not in the same place. Anyone who makes a mistake has to take an extra game here and find their way out to return to the original game. Made a mistake? Such as? Destroying public property, sleeping in class, etc. The teenagers face was hard as he said it, and the other two had expressions of disbelief. Xin Lan remembered the chair that had smashed on herself and not broken, and was broken by her own smashing on Zou Yun Fei, and glanced apologetically at Shen Shuiyan. Shen Shuiyan was a little confused. I just hit Zou Yun Fei and the chair broke. Shen Shuiyan swallowed a mouthful of saliva with difficulty, the amount of information was a bit too much. What the author has to say: Im replacing this today because my hand slipped the other day, so Im updating early! Ill be on the list today, I want to get in line, so feel free to say whats on your mind [crazy hint]! T/N: hopeless ޿ (shngwklin): (Internet slang) nothing left to live for guilty (zudj): guilty of terrible crimes (idiom) / reprehensible a man can give in and take out ɷ (dzhngfunngqnngshn): A leader can submit or can stand tall as required. / ready to give and take / flexible disbelief һѾ (yynnnjn): hard to explain in a few words (idiom); complicated and not easy to express succinctly CH 12 Chapter 12 Hunting Legally The Escape 12 The group introduced themselves, apart from Xin Lan and Shen Shuiyan, the others were two boys and one girl. The teenager who spoke first was called Teng Lin, the other boy was called Wang Wen, and the remaining girl was called Zhou Li Min. Nobody volunteered to say what everyone was here for, it wasnt necessary. Did the rules say anything else? Xin Lan asked why Teng Lin was aware of the rules and knew the reason for the game, while she and Shen Shuiyan were confused and had no hints at all. Its not the rules that say that, I concluded it myself. Conclude? You came in more than once? Xin Lan caught Teng Lins use of words and was a little surprised. Yeah, I cannot help but sleep in class ah, so I attended twice, today is the third time, every time I come in the scene is different, each time there are five people, you find the exit and you can go out. Is the exit hard to find? Zhou Li Min asked. It depends on luck. Teng Lin shrugged his shoulders. Will there be any reward if we go out of here? Are you out of your mind? It was meant to be a punishment, its good to be alive. Teng Lin choked out, a somewhat intriguing look on his face. Cut the crap and hurry up and get started. Teng Lin got up from his seat and walked towards the classroom door. Its so dark outside. Zhou Li Min couldnt help but back away when she saw the dark corridor. Teng Lin ignored it and went out on his own. Xin Lan surveyed the classroom once again. This classroom was small, with four ventilation fans, the doors and windows were closed and there was a faint smell of dust in the air. There are few good desks and chairs, most of which are damaged, and the broom that has collected dust in the corner shows how long the classroom has been abandoned. Zero Nine: The Spatial Dimension Map was scanned, a three-story school building, and we were on the first floor. Xin Lan sniffed and looked at the window. Looking out of the window, it was a dark and dreary night. Xin Lan walked in and touched the window. Theres no dust. That was what Shen Shuiyan said, and it was exactly what Xin Lan wanted to say. How could the windows be so clean when this classroom smelled of dust and there was dust on everything else. Xin Lan: Can you detect any exit from this building? Zero Nine: There is one main door with a side entrance, which is on the right side of the ground floor. Go out and take a look. Xin Lan said to Shen Shuiyan, the exit was not likely to be inside this classroom anyway. The corridor outside was really dark, and unusually oddly black, as if it could swallow one up. Whats the point of making such a hassle, if we want to go out, why not just go out through this window directly? Wang Wen knocked on the window, pushed it open and looked outside. Outside there was moonlight and you could faintly see the trees underneath. This isnt good, dont the rules of the game say we have to find the exit? Zhou Li Min was very hesitant. How is this not an exit, wouldnt it be nice to get out? Wang Wen turned on his phones torch and poked his head out to shine the light downstairs. It seems like its only the first floor, theres no problem at all going down from here, are you guys going? Wang Wen put away his phone and sniffed at the three girls behind him. Zhou Li Min shook her head, and Xin Lan and Shen Shuiyan felt sure that things were not that simple, so they also shook their heads cautiously. You girls are just timid, scared of this and that. Wang Wen rolled his eyes, moved his feet and wrists, and climbed up to the window. The three watched in silence as he jumped from the upper floor, the first floor should have landed quickly, but Xin Lan didnt hear the expected loud noise. Two seconds passed before there was a thud that sent a shock through the ears. Xin Lan was alarmed and hurriedly looked out towards the window, the sound was not right, jumping from the first floor should not sound like this, nor could it take so few seconds. But outside it was pitch black, and nothing could be seen but the elongated shadows of the trees, like dappled ghosts. Did he have an accident? Zhou Li Mins face was white and she didnt dare to move towards the window. Shen Shuiyans face was not good either, how did she feel that sound so much like jumping from a building? Shen Shuiyan pressed the torch of her mobile phone and shone it outward to the ground. There seems to be a figure lying on the ground, which should be the Wang Wen who just jumped down. How could this happen? Xin Lan stared, in theory, falling from the first floor like this should not kill him, at most he would be crippled unless he landed on the back of his head, but according to Wang Wens posture, he had clearly landed on his legs first. Unless this was not the first floor. The so-called rule that can draw them into inter-dimensional space holds the kind of power that can elongate the dimension of space, such as a road that is lengthened, and then a tall building that is extended. What appears to be the first floor here is actually stretched to the point where it could be the eighth or tenth floor. Thats why the sound of the landing was heard two seconds late, and the landing was loud. There is no doubt that the person is definitely dead. Lets shut the window first. Shen Shuiyan said, and Xin Lan straightened up and let her close the window. Go out and have a look. The first to go out, Teng Lin, was the most experienced, indicating that the exit should be just outside. Can I follow you guys? Zhou Li Min asked timidly. Feel free. Xin Lan and Shen Shuiyan walked in front of them and out of the classroom. Shen Shuiyan held up her phone, the gleam of the light from the torch couldnt reach the end. She unconsciously pulled on the sleeve of the person beside her, and Xin Lan felt the tug and simply pulled the persons hand in her hand, feeling Shen Shuiyans nervousness. Scared? Arent you afraid? Shen Shuiyan tightened her grip on the warm, soft hand and asked rhetorically with a sniff. Xin Lan smiled in the darkness, her eyes obscure. Shen Shuiyan, however, took her silence as a tacit agreement and could not help but squeeze her hand as a silent comfort to each other. CTick Xin Lan paused, and Shen Shuiyan followed her footsteps. Did you hear anything? They were still in the long, dark corridor when Xin Lan heard the sound of water dripping from the tap. No. Shen Shuiyin shook her head. CTick Xin Lan wasnt under her delusion; the sound was clear in the quiet of the night. The air seemed to freeze and Xin Lan continued on, her ears judging the source of the sound. Zero Nine was frowning in the system space, all she could see was a long corridor that clearly had a border, but as Xin Lan walked, that border was stretched out indefinitely. Unable to give support to the host, there was nothing she could do. As she walked, something suddenly occurred to Xin Lan. The girl following us, were there no more footsteps? Shen Shuiyans body shivered at her words, and she turned the torch backwards, and there was nothing but emptiness. Its gone. The unknown situation does make one feel bad. When the hell did Zhou Li Min disappear? Had she left on her own or had she met something else? No one could give them the answer. Suddenly, the only source of light disappeared. It seems to be broken. Shen Shuiyan looked at her phone. They were standing in a dark corridor, as if they were in a darkness without borders. There was a wind blowing over, which sent chills all over the body. Theres wind, there must be an exit ahead, lets go. Xin Lan felt the coldness of the hand she was holding, thinking it was Shen Shuiyan who had been scared. She dragged the person forward and finally came to the supposed end of what looked like the bathroom. The light in the ladies room suddenly came on, the dim yellow light illuminating the dirty walls. As Xin Lan prepared to incline her head, she heard Shen Shuiyans voice. Xin Lan! The voice came from the back, and that meant Xin Lan quickly shrugged off the hand she was pulling and couldnt help but rub against her side. At this point she also got a good look at the person beside her, or perhaps could not be called a person. The young girls face was cratered and puckered, as if something had chewed it up. But the familiarity of her face could still be seen in her brow; it was none other than Zhou Li Min, who had met her in the classroom before and then suddenly disappeared after them. Zhou Li Min smiled at her, looking more and more terrified by that face. Xin Lan stared at Shen Shuiyan, who had come running from behind. She had just clearly been holding Shen Shuiyans hand without letting go, when did the person beside her, change from a human being to a ghost? Shen Shuiyan was a little out of breath and walked to Xin Lans side. Just now when the lights went out, you suddenly disappeared next to me, and I saw you appear in front of me with a person holding your hand, I called out loudly to you, but you didnt hear me, so I had to follow after you. And it was a tiring chase, Shen Shuiyan almost ran the whole way, because for some reason, the person in front of her moved so fast that she could only keep running before she could see Xin Lans back. Xin Lans mind was in a bit of disarray as she looked warily at the female ghost, surrounded by the lighted ladies room that she didnt know if she could get into, the corridor was still dark, she couldnt even see where the stairs were, and the female ghost was just a few steps away from them. Almost the next instant, Zhou Li Min lunged at Xin Lan. Xin Lan subconsciously raised her foot to kick out the lunging object, and the female ghost crashed into the wall with a thud crash. Shen Shuiyan, who witnessed it all: Zhou Li Min let out a sharp whine that stung like a headache. Her head slammed against the wall, blood dripping out and smeared across her gnawed face, and her eyes, almost all white, glared at Xin Lan. Xin Lan met her gaze openly and clenched her knuckles. Zhou Li Min soon pounced again, only this time she took a detour halfway and nipped at Shen Shuiyan. Shen Shuiyan leaned back to avoid her claws and Xin Lan saw the opportunity to kick her in the stomach. The space was limited and the ghost kept closing in. Just because Xin Lan could fight didnt mean she wanted to be caught by the ghost, and she didnt have any weapons at hand. Shes making us go into the toilet. Shen Shuiyan could see the signs and shouted out as she was pulled from side to side by Xin Lan to dodge. The place illuminated by the dim light seemed safe, but no one dared to venture inside. The female ghost was thrown against the wall and was gone in an instant. Shen Shuiyan looked up with a feeling and saw the female ghost ready to pounce down from the ceiling. Her pupils dilated and she subconsciously pushed Xin Lan to safety, while she herself was pounced on by the female ghost. CH 13 Chapter 13 Hunting Legally The Escape 13 Shen Shuiyan! Seeing this, Xin Lan rushed to pull the female ghost lying on top of Shen Shuiyan. Shen Shuiyan was struck by a pain in the back, her head was knocked somewhat dizzy, what was more unpleasant was the female ghost on top of her body, the ghastly face and the sharp teeth, the nauseating smell of blood came to her nose. She put her hands against it, her palms sweaty. Xin Lan yanked the female ghosts clothes and pulled her off Shen Shuiyans body hard. Shen Shuiyans clothes were tugged and the pressure on her body disappeared, she let out a sigh of relief and hurriedly sat up. Xin Lan slammed the female ghost against the wall, her movements were a little fierce, her eyes were cold and harsh. The ghost let out a sharp wail and her head twisted into a contorted arc, but Xin Lan was not deterred and continued to slam her head into the wall. The dark blood stained the grey wall and Xin Lan let go. The instant she let go, Zhou Li Min pushed closer again with a somewhat dented head. Xin Lan was getting a little impatient. Since she had died once, she didnt mind letting her die again. She grabbed the female ghost by the hair with one hand and threw her out again, the air resounding with the teeth-chattering sound of bones cracking. The female ghosts head hung limply, but her arms and legs were still struggling. What do we do now? Go in or? Shen Shuiyan frowned, now they couldnt find where the stairs were, other than going in they would have to freeze here. Go in, Id like to see what she keeps forcing us to go in for. Xin Lan sneered and stepped into the light encapsulation. Shen Shuiyan followed behind her and surveyed the environment inside. The toilets in here were one booth, ten in total, and the doors were all closed. The ghosts outside had disappeared at some point and the air was dead silent. Xin Lan tied up her hair, which had just been messed up, and looked at Shen Shuiyan, who was still looking around. Why did you just push me out of the way? Just the subconscious ah. Shen Shuiyan froze at her question and replied with some puzzlement. You knew that if I couldnt pull her in time, you would die you know? But you did pull in ah. Shen Shuiyan blinked her eyes and curved out a crescent moon shape. I can manage, I dont have to do that next time. Xin Lan finished feeling that her words were not very good, but after opening her mouth, she still didnt add anything. She clearly wanted to express that she was physically better than Shen Shuiyan, and even if the ghost pounced down she could immediately fight back and kill it, while Shen Shuiyan could only wait to die, but saying it like that made people feel too cold and hard, as if she was being ungrateful. What if you cant handle it? I think what I did was fine, and if theres a next time, Ill do it again. Shen Shuiyan didnt understand why Xin Lan said that, it made her a little angry that that kind of good intention had resulted in such a result. Xin Lan, are you omnipotent? Looking into Shen Shuiyans serious eyes, Xin Lan frowned. Obviously, she was not. Then are you incapable of dying? Xin Lan continued to be silent. People can get hurt and get sick and die, look, youre not made of steel either, dont be so brave. Im not trying to be brave. Xin Lan shot back, but saw Shen Shuiyans smiling face. She just smiled like that and looked at her quietly, Xin Lan tilted her head, but the corner of her mouth rose gently. Xin Lan was previously omnipotent and then waited to be defeated, being the villain of a harmonious society? It was destined to meet a tragic end. Sometimes Xin Lan gives up on herself, cant she choose how she dies if she has to watch herself die? Xin Lan had tried many ways to die, and although those memories had faded, she had done so many missions that she had become indifferent to the idea of death. It was true that she was not omnipotent, but some days she thought she was. The moment Shen Shuiyan told her not to be brave, she suddenly thought of the past. In her original world, as a good ALPHA, she was expected to do her best in everything, but her mother would always look at her worriedly when she came out of the repair bay, telling her not to be too brave about it. CDont worry, Mum, the wounds will be gone when you are in the repair bay. CBut you were in pain. Xin Lan hid the look in her eyes and pretended to observe elsewhere. Zero Nine was silent, it was a tasty sisterly affair. Want to push open these cubicles and take a look? There doesnt seem to be anything there. Shen Shuiyan pointed to the red door, she always thought the red on the toilet door looked weird. Lets open it and see, anyway the exit is definitely not in this place. It would be unspeakable to say that the exit was really in the toilet. Xin Lan and Shen Shuiyan pulled the toilet cubicles apart one by one, and it was good to see that there were no stomach-churning images inside. The lack of anomalies was in fact the biggest anomaly. The female ghost had to force them to come in here, and it couldnt be for no reason. The sound of flushing suddenly sounded in the toilet and Xin Lan saw the scarlet water tumbling inside, like the colour of blood. The red on the door panel also seemed to be dripping downwards, like flowing blood. Shen Shuiyan felt some discomfort in her stomach and the smell of blood seemed to be strong at the end of her nostrils. Suddenly, all the doors were slammed shut with a bang sound. From under the door came a large mass of hair-like material that grew and converged rapidly on the floor. The white floor, which had been slightly dirty, was suddenly taken over by the writhing black hair. Xin Lan immediately pulled Shen Shuiyans hand and ran outside. The moment she stepped out of the bathroom, the female ghost with her head hanging down appeared on the periphery of the wall again. Shen Shuiyan looked inwards and inside were writhing strands of black hair all over the place. Xin Lan knew the reason why the ghost had to let them in, it was to put them in a dilemma. Compared to the pile of hair inside the toilet with no idea of the danger, Xin Lan was inclined to stand outside and deal with this female ghost. Whats the point of this game anyway, isnt it for us to find the exit, but now its forcing us towards death. With this situation, even Shen Shuiyan couldnt help but want to curse. If the ones who came in were just ordinary students, then they would have been bitten to death by the female ghosts long ago, or else they would have been killed by the things inside. Xin Lan remembered what Teng Lin, who had gone somewhere, had said. CThis was a punishment, it would be nice to survive. Xin Lan cursed in her heart, if she could get out of here, she would definitely go and beat Zou Yun Fei up again. It was clearly Zou Yun Fei who had hit her with the chair first, it was really a day. Zero Nine could only do nothing in the system space, this kind of psychic-oriented stuff was something they didnt know how to provide help with, inside her structure analysis diagram, this space dimension was clear at a glance, it didnt show where the stairs were at all. You should stand back a bit. Xin Lan inclined her head and whispered, and Shen Shuiyan nodded, her back pressed against the wall. Xin Lan moved her arm and tangled with the female ghost. Her head hung helplessly in a twisted arc around her neck, her mouth still moving, and because her vision was restricted, the left side became her blind spot, and Xin Lan went straight for it. Tell me where the exit is from here. The female ghost mumbled something out of her mouth, not knowing if she understood it or not. Xin Lan stomped the female ghost to the ground, grabbing her hair in her hand. Half of the female ghosts face had been smashed flat during the struggle, and the blood and the cratered face, the dented head that hung helplessly, made her look distinctly miserable. If you dont tell me, Ill just rip your head off and break your limbs a little bit, so youll be a ghost that can only crawl on the ground forever! Xin Lans patience had reached its limit. Shen Shuiyan swallowed silently at her words and quietly looked at the figure of a person and a ghost not far away. She was now very convinced that Xin Lan had cleaned up Zou Yun Feis mess. The female ghosts body stiffened for a moment and let out a looming sound. Looks like you understand, nod your head if you do, if you dont what will that pile of hair do to you if I throw you inside the toilet? Xin Lans eyes saw a black mass at the end of her eyes and narrowed her eyes inquiringly. The female ghost nodded her crooked head quickly. Xin Lan sneered and released her grip, and the female ghost immediately disappeared in front of Xin Lan. At the same time, the lights in the corridor began to flicker on and off, illuminating the staircase. The ghost was lying on the ceiling, pointing Xin Lan in the right direction. As mentioned earlier, this was the 2nd floor, so since there were stairs going up as well as down. Lets go down first and see if there is an exit, maybe the exit will be the front door too? Xin Lan made a conventional speculation, although in this strange place, the most usual could be the least likely, but it was always a good idea to try. Good. Shen Shuiyan nodded her head, she had no opinion. Xin Lan once again held Shen Shuiyans hand tightly. I will take you out. If it wasnt very much a matter of opinion before, Xin Lan was now just determined in her thoughts. She would take Shen Shuiyan out, whether it was this strange game of punishment or that game of clues outside. I trust you, to avoid the situation before, you hold it like this. Shen Shuiyan stretched the long-sleeved jumper inside her dress, allowing Xin Lan to pull her hand through the layer of jumper. There was no guarantee that the same trick wouldnt happen twice in this game either. If she had been the one replaced, Xin Lan could have quickly sensed that the touch in her hand was wrong. And what if its me whos been replaced? Xin Lan gripped it and pulled Shen Shuiyan downwards. I remember the temperature of your palm. A living persons hand was different from a dead persons hand, and Shen Shuiyan thought it might be because Xin Lan was in very good health, her palm was always warm when she took her hand all the time, making one feel very at ease. When the two of them reached the ground floor, Xin Lan saw the door, she did not rush forward, but stared not far away. Shen Shuiyan followed her gaze and stared over, her eyes also widened. The teenager with a broken skull and twisted body was dripping his brains and grinned at them. What the author has to say. Schoolboy: You think you can do anything! Can you give yourself a mouth! Xin Lan: ???? Zero Nine: Its a tough guy! The above is either (or not) a real school bully This world is just mixed with some spiritual elements, not every replica, each replica will be labeled in time, after that may also open spiritual / suspense / escape / survival / secret room plots. The timid dont be afraid not to go (hold your legs not to go), you guys look during the day, the virility is sufficient, and the next few copies are not scary, I will not write intensively, dont abandon me! The next few pieces are not scary. CH 14 The Escape 14 Shen Shuiyans heart immediately boosted up, she felt that this game would scare people to death even if the ghosts didnt kill them. In contrast, she still felt that the previous game was a little more friendly to them, at least there werent a bunch of ghosts running out to kill people. Go up. Xin Lan instantly made a judgement, following her instincts, how that door did not look like an exit, and seeing that Wang Wen, who had jumped to his death, was about to climb in, Xin Lan decided it was better to head back. The two of them went up the stairs again, this time without delay, straight to the third floor. The lights in the third floor corridor were on, and there stood a figure. What took you guys so long to get here, Ive been waiting for you here for ages. The teenagers voice was a little impatient as he turned around to be none other than Teng Lin. Waiting for us for what? I have found the exit, we are all at least human, thats why I am waiting for you here, come on, do you want to go out or not? Teng Lin urged, waving towards Xin Lan and the girls. Dont go over there, somethings not right. Shen Shuiyan whispered, holding onto Xin Lans hand. Xin Lan tapped the back of Shen Shuiyans hand with her finger and approached little by little. Wheres the exit? Its in here. Teng Lin pointed to the classroom in front of him. Xin Lan swept a glance at the classroom, which was locked. Come here quickly, what are you guys delaying for? Seeing that Xin Lan and Shen Shuiyan were still a great distance away, Teng Lin couldnt help but urge. Xin Lan stood still and looked coldly at the youngster who was beckoning. Come over, why dont you come over? Im leaving. Xin Lan and Shen Shuiyan still ignored them, and Teng Lins expression twisted up. I said come over here! Why cant you walk over here? Teng Lin smiled and his expression was a little odd. He laughed a few times, but the sound of that laugh made peoples heads tingle. Shen Shuiyan gazed at his feet, which were brightly illuminated by the light. He had no shadow. The three people they saw when they came in were all dead, and perhaps there was still a possibility that from the beginning to the end this was not a game for five people, but just for the two of them. Teng Lin took a step forward, but suddenly fell to the ground. He stuck to the ground, his body flattening as if it had melted, seemingly just a layer of human skin, softly clinging to the handing, but the features on that layer of skin were still there, eyes rolling, and a weird smile at the corners of his mouth. To Xin Lans eyes, it was as if something that had been three-dimensional had suddenly become flat. Shen Shuiyans other hand was covering her mouth as her stomach gave a twitch. This scene is really disgusting a little too much, Xin Lan also felt the spicy eyes watching, and a physiological discomfort. Zero Nine was shivering with the little yellow chicken in his arms, wanting to cry and silently reciting the core socialist values in his heart to protect himself. Im coming over. The layer of human skin said with a playful smile, moving a little towards Xin Lan and Shen Shuiyans direction. Xin Lan was a little reluctant to do anything for fear of getting her hands dirty. Shen Shuiyan, on the other hand, was a little dumbfounded by that visual effect, and after calming down, her brain ran fast. If its really a game that wants people to die, then why is this punishment game set to have a nondescript exit, in order to give hope and then despair? From the beginning of the game until now, Shen Shuiyan had projected various possibilities, and she sometimes thought that everything was just an abominable joke, that even if they had all the clues, they might not be able to escape from the horrible campus. Just like what they were experiencing now. The human skin on the ground heard Shen Shuiyans words and gave another odd smile. Xin Lan wasnt afraid, but she was annoyed. Xin Lan had originally had some Post-War Stress, and after becoming a villain, her personality became more and more ruthless and indifferent. Although she had done a fading of her memories after going out from the mission world, she couldnt help but become more and more agitated, and sometimes her personality would present two extremes. Xin Lan felt that the mood she had relieved after beating up Zou Yun Fei was getting irritated again because of this succession of ghosts and monsters. Teng Lin, who only had a layer of human skin, was getting closer and closer, almost reaching the bottom of Xin Lans feet. Shen Shuiyan took a step back, but did not move Xin Lan. Xin Lan continued to stand in place, her head slightly bowed. Her face was expressionless as she locked eyes with the human skin on the ground, her fingers moving unconsciously. Tell us the exit, or Ill stomp on your face. Xin Lans tone was flat, but her look was very serious. The gliding human skin stiffened, not expecting this reaction from her. He darted and wrapped himself around Xin Lans foot, who shrugged it off and back-stepped at the same time. She pushed Shen Shuiyan away and her hand darted to grab the human skin on the ground. The touch in her hand was slippery and had an indescribably disgusting feeling. The human skin was very flexible and tried to wrap itself around Xin Lans body after being grabbed. How could Xin Lan give him such an opportunity, the bottom of her foot stepped on the part of the human skin face, the other foot stepped on the stomach there, one hand clenched the grasped part tightly, and stretched the human skin apart like a piece of cloth. The scene of tearing the ghost with his bare hands was too shocking, Shen Shuiyan pressed her temples, tonight was really a bit too exciting. The ghost let out a harsh howl, but the force in Xin Lans hand was getting stronger and stronger. She hadnt used her full strength before, and she didnt dare to use her full strength, in case people died, it would be bad, but it was okay for the ghost, it was a dead existence. In respect of force value, Xin Lan felt that the human skin ghost was not as good as the female ghost on the first floor. As Xin Lans pulling motion became greater and greater, the human skin ghosts stepped on features became even more distorted. The whole piece of human skin was extremely resilient and could not normally be torn apart with bare hands. With her other hand, Xin Lan took out a small pair of scissors from her pocket and the cold tip of the knife slid across the human skin. Tell me where the exit is, or Ill cut this skin off of you and turn it into pieces and see how else you can put yourself back together. Uh-uh-uh! Teng Lins mouth was stomped on and he couldnt speak. You are actually the Ghost, arent you! Psychopath ah ah ah ah ah! Shen Shuiyan was already a little insensitive from the stimulation, it was good, this was good, it was much better than waiting to die. If you dont say anything, Ill cut it off. Ummmmmmmmmmmmmm! Sister youve stepped on my mouth! How am I supposed to talk! Boing boing boing boing boing! Xin Lan, your foot, its stepping on his mouth. Shen Shuiyan clasped her arms in warning, her eyes complicated. Xin Lan understood and loosened one foot. The exit, the exit is in the door, Im not lying. Xin Lan looked towards the locked door, let go and lifted her foot. Immediately the human skin slid against the wall, still a little disgusting to look at. Xin Lan did not know how to pick locks, and apparently neither did Shen Shuiyan. Xin Lan lifted her long legs and kicked open the door. Behind the door was not a classroom, but something like a vortex. Xin Lan looked steadily at the human skin stuck to the wall, which did not understand its meaning and gave an ugly and frightening smile. Bye bye? The Human Skin Ghost didnt know what else Xin Lan wanted, and just now Xin Lan had really cut a bit of his skin when she threatened him. Xin Lan withdrew his eyes and angled his chin at Shen Shuiyan. Lets go. The two stepped into the vortex one after the other, and in the next instant changed to appear on the path outside the boys dormitory. Coming out. Shen Shuiyan breathed a sigh of relief when she saw the familiar sight. Dont you think Im strange? Xin Lan looked at Shen Shuiyan, she had clearly broken her character to the point of complete collapse. When doing a mission, maintaining a character was actually basic, but it wasnt a very hard requirement, it also divided people into worlds in nature. For example, in the world she entered now, the original owner was a romantic character, but her emotional intelligence was not high and her personality was a bit high-minded. In the original plot, she was also afraid of shrinking and kept following the original squad, with her ex-boyfriend in mind. To have Xin Lan maintaining that weepy, scared character is definitely making Xin Lan suffer sh*t. She can be beautiful, she can be cool, she can be vicious, she can be dark, but she cant cry, its against the will of a soldier. Better to shed blood than tears. Youre different from the Xin Lan Ive seen and heard before, youre strong, I do apologize for my previous perception. Shen Shuiyan did not care if the soul of the person in front of her was still the same as the one before, after experiencing such a bizarre game, it seemed that such a thing as a soul switch did not feel strange. To her, such a situation was even more beneficial. If it was the previous one, Shen Shuiyan might not have been willing to team up with her. But this one, Shen Shuiyan knew that it was she who had climbed higher. According to Xin Lans strength, she could have gone out on her own. I really do prefer to talk to smart people. Xin Lan chuckled. A cold breeze brushed her face and soothed all the restlessness in Xin Lans heart. Xin Lan thought that she might have to rest for a few days after this mission, how she could always hold her temper and would have to cultivate her body. Perhaps it was still the effect of too many previous missions, after all, being a villain was something where you didnt have to rein in your temper. But now that shes changed departments, its time to change, she cant just go up and hit people, she has to at least be reasonable before she hits them. Do you have any other clothes? Xin Lan looked at Shen Shuiyans scratched feather jacket and asked with some amusement. The two times Shen Shuiyan had been with her, Shen Shuiyans jacket had suffered a very unfortunate fate. I didnt bring a lot with me, I washed the dirty part of the last one, and I guess that piece didnt dry in this weather. Xin Lan looked at her down jacket that was going to be without fabric on both arms and was helpless, she hadnt brought a lot of clothes as she hadnt expected such a thing. Then wear mine, I still have it in my wardrobe. They were both similar in size, so it shouldnt matter. Good. Shen Shuiyan glanced at her phone, 22:37 hours. The hunt was still going on. You and I should live in the same dormitory, youre alone and too far away from me to be safe. Naturally happy with this, Shen Shuiyan nodded her head. When Xin Lan was almost at the dormitory, she remembered one thing and pulled Shen Shuiyan back. She took out a small card from her pocket and used it silently. The card disappeared in the air, and at the same time, two pieces of clues fell into her palm. CH 15 Chapter 15 Huning Legally The Escape 15 Is that the effect of the thing you got the other day? You can get two clue fragments? Shen Shuiyan was surprised, not expecting the rules to be so generous as to give two fragments at once. No. Xin Lan shook her head and told Shen Shuiyan what the card had originally done. This means that someone has already died now, and you got these two fragments from that persons body. Xin Lan nodded, the person who had been killed actually had two fragments on them, which was also a little surprising to her, she had originally thought that she could only get one. Earlier she considered whether it was the person killed by the rules that would allow her to use the card or something else, and then she responded that the words written on the card had indicated the extent to which she could use it. Use it silently during the hunt, and during the hunt the rules would not kill anyone. Only when it was over and no one had died would the rules do it. The real hunt is about to begin, you stay with me and do not go around by yourself. Xin Lan tucked the clue fragment into her pocket and said as she walked. Shen Shuiyan nodded as she looked at Xin Lans beautiful, stern side face. Xin Lan knew that something was bound to happen in the dormitory, but she didnt expect her to come across this situation so quickly. Xin Lan and Shen Shuiyan met the three people who were at a standstill at the stairway on the first floor. One versus two, to be precise. The girl with short hair was tangled up with two people and looked quite distressed. When they saw Xin Lan and Shen Shuiyan coming up, both groups of people froze. Help me! The short haired girl hastily called for help, grabbing the wrists of the people holding her clothes and pulling her outwards. The two men holding her became more and more impatient, pulling her in their hands and not letting go, and looking warily at Xin Lan and Shen Shuiyan, afraid that they might join the struggle. If they decided to save or to help, they would be surrounded by three people and would be in a very difficult position to get the woman in their hands, otherwise they wouldnt have spent more than ten minutes trying to get the pieces of the clue. But if the promise of a benefit to let these two people go away is really reluctant, they are caught in a dilemma, so they have to hold on to the person in their hands and not let go. Shen Shuiyan looked at Xin Lan and asked her to make a decision. After all she really hadnt fought anyone in all her life, and if it came to blows later on surely Xin Lan would be the lead. Youre in our way. Xin Lan said indifferently and the three men froze. How about we take these two out first, grab whats on them, and then take this one alone? Xin Lan inclined her head and spoke to Shen Shuiyan as if in discussion. Sounds good. Shen Shuiyan responded, observing the reactions of the three people in the hallway room. The faces of all three people did not look too good, but the short-haired girl suddenly spoke up. Save me! Ill give you a clue fragment! Xin Lan raised an eyebrow and motioned for Shen Shuiyan to step back a little. According to Xin Lans skill, the two girls were not enough for her, but just a few kicks each, and the two fled in a mess. Just let them go? Shen Shuiyan looked at the backs of those two who left in a panic and was somewhat puzzled. This was not in line with Xin Lans nature, ah. Though killing people was something Shen Shuiyan couldnt do, this was in front of life and death, and robbing things was nothing to be soft about. I like to deal with things together, they can hide today but not tomorrow. In terms of fighting power, the girls are indeed not as strong as the boys. The boys were harder to fight and there was always a sense of bloody-mindedness in them. The short-haired girl fumbled for her broken glasses and put them on her eyes. Thank you. Where are the pieces? Xin Lan cut the crap and got straight to the point. I can give you guys all of mine, can I join you as a team? The short-haired girls glasses were half broken and she looked a bit funny, but her expression was very calm while her body kept a safe distance from Xin Lan. It seems you have more than one clue fragment on you, where is your original team? Shen Shuiyan asked. It was those two just now, one originally tried to grab mine, but I got hers in turn and she joined forces with the other one. The short-haired girl shrugged her shoulders, her face had a few scratches, supposedly from the struggle she had just been in. Shen Shuiyan was silent for a moment, still looking at Xin Lan. If Xin Lan wanted to, Xin Lan could have gotten all the pieces of the girls body at virtually no cost, but again, if Xin Lan wanted to, she could have saved that one life. Xin Lan wasnt so heartless that she had to kill every single person. Join our team, no problem of course, but I dont like people who make small moves. Xin Lan gently patted the dust on herself, and the girl nodded her head in a hurry. My name is Xu Deng and Im in class five. Xin Lan, Shen Shuiyan pointed to Xin Lan and then to herself, Shen Shuiyan. So youre Shen Shuiyan. Xu Deng drifted off, she was also someone who had heard grade gossip, and faced with these two magical combinations, she couldnt help but feel a little peculiar in her heart. You know me? First in your year, Ive heard a lot about you. But lets not talk about it here, its a bit dangerous, what if someone else runs out later, do you two live in the same dorm? Xu Deng looked at the corridor with some unease, touching the cobwebbed and shattered lenses of her glasses on her right side in a helpless manner. Hmm. Shen Shuiyan nodded, the two of them not only lived in the same dormitory, but they also slept in the same bed. Lets go to your dormitory first then, keep the door locked for safety. Is it a rough night? Xin Lan asked, it was true that people did not have much patience, especially when it came to life and death, it was only the third night and people had already died, there was no knowing how many and there must be even more things like explicit robbery. These are just students at school. Well, since the bell rang, some people started doing it as if they were mad, and of course the people who were robbed wanted to get it back, and some of them ganged up, and there were boys? What do you mean? Shen Shuiyans face turned a few shades harder. Someone brought boys to the girls dormitory as helpers, I dont know what happened afterwards, anyway the scene was chaotic, just now the first floor was still very noisy. Xu Dengs expression was also hard to read, one could not think deeply about such things, the more one thought about it the more horrible it became. My dormitory is on the fourth floor, go up. Xin Lan stepped on the stairs, and the two followed behind her. The third floor was very noisy, and the fourth floor wasnt much better. A sound of crying and cursing came from upstairs and Xin Lan saw something cross in front of her eyes and crash to the ground with a loud thud. Someone had jumped off the building. Xu Dengs face went white and she looked up towards the stairs. It is only the third day and the rules do not give a time limit. Could it be that by the end of it, everyone had gone mad. Could she really get out of here alive? Xin Lan walked to the door of her dormitory, and the few dormitories she passed along the way were either closed or open, with no one inside. Xin Lan knocked twice on the door and then suddenly smelled a fragrance. Xin Lan withdrew her hand from knocking on the door and walked to the next dormitory. Shen Shuiyan and Xu Deng did not know what she was going to do, but still followed her. Seeing the dormitory next door, Xu Deng covered her mouth to stop herself from screaming. The floor was covered in blood, and there were three people lying in a pool of blood, with two girls hugging each other. One of the girls heard the footsteps and looked up alertly, the knife in her hand still dripping blood, thinking that the few people dying on the floor were her work. She swayed to her feet and blocked the people behind her. Do you want to rob us of the pieces too? Her voice was tinged with something low and she waved the knife in her hand. Xin Lan snorted a laugh and turned to walk away. She continued knocking on the dormitory door and spoke to open it. Xiaochun pulled open a gap and opened the door after seeing Xin Lan. Are you the only one? Theyve gone off somewhere. Xiaochun nodded and locked the door. You can sleep in our dorm tonight. Xin Lan said to Xu Deng, who nodded. Xin Lan smelt a faint smell of blood in the air, glanced at Xiaochun, took off the duvet she was wearing, spread her hair out and tied it in a low ponytail. Shen Shuiyan also smelled a faint odor and thought it was the smell of the dormitory next door wafting in along with the action of just opening the door, so she didnt think much of it. You sleep in this bed. Xin Lan nodded at Xu Deng to Zhou Ming Fangs bed. Youre still sleeping with me. Good. Shen Shuiyan smiled and nodded her head. Xin Lan went to the balcony to use the drying rod to collect the clothes she had hung out to dry earlier when she saw something out of the corner of her eye. She went there and found it was a bracelet that was about to fall off. Xin Lan: Unity, help me scan this dorm for anything that shouldnt be there. Zero Nine: What shouldnt be there? Zero Nine was a bit confused, not knowing what was meant by something that shouldnt be there, but he still followed Xin Lans instructions and scanned the dormitory. There were indeed quite a lot of small things cluttering this dormitory, but what Zero Nine noticed was one of the very large shadows and gulped. Zero Nine: Host, in the locker opposite your bunk, there seems to be something of a very large area, and my analysis here suggests that it is meat. Without surprise, Xin Lan took the clothes off the shelf and placed them on the table. Do you have to shower today? Xin Lan shook her head, the situation was uncertain and it was winter, not every day had to mean a bath. Shen Shuiyan smiled as she smoothly took the clothes from her hands, placed them on her lap and began to fold them. Xin Lan froze and let her go. After entering the punishment game together, the two became a little closer. If the first time she ran into a ghost was because she felt that Shen Shuiyan had to come along on her own, then the second time was when she implicated Shen Shuiyan. But instead of complaining or being angry, she pushed her away from the dangerous edge at that time. Xin Lan liked this kind of teammate and the care she received from them. Looking at the girl who had folded her clothes neatly, Xin Lan thought that this person was really quite nice. CH 16 Chapter 16 Hunting Legally (Arc 1) The Escape 16 Everything fell to silence as the bell rang. Someone peeks out of hiding, someone stops running. Hell changed back to earth as if the struggle had never happened. Shen Shuiyan originally thought she would have a hard time sleeping today after seeing ghosts and blood again, but it turned out not to be the case. The sleeping quality of Xin Lan seemed to be surprisingly good, lying on the bed and closing her eyes she seemed to be able to fall asleep immediately. Shen Shuiyan didnt know whether she should say that this person was thick-skinned, or that she was too strong so there was nothing to worry about. Under the influence of that breathing sound, she also fell asleep. Shen Shuiyan remembered what Xin Lan had said that day about not waking her up, so she slept very peacefully, just in case she might accidentally smash into Xin Lan and wake her up, but when she opened her eyes the next day, she thought it might be Xin Lans that was a little more restless. Xin Lans leg was pressed against hers, her hand resting on her waist, and her pretty face was a little more peaceful and soft, looking a little better behaved. Shen Shuiyan inexplicably thought that Xin Lan looked like a sleeping tiger, neglecting her ferocity and looking so cute that people wanted to rub her hair, rub her face and kiss her but could only think about it, after all, when the beast opened its eyes, it was able to tear people apart and eat them raw. A few minutes after Shen Shuiyan woke up, Xin Lan also woke up. Did you get any scent? Shen Shuiyan sat up from the bed and moved her nose, smelling an indescribable stench. Xin Lan didnt say anything, just told her to get out of bed. It does feel like theres something stinky coming from somewhere. Xu Deng also sat up from her bed, rubbed her eyes and put on her broken glasses. Shen Shuiyans toiletries had been taken to Xin Lans dormitory and Xu Deng was going back to her own dorm, watching the two people in front of her walk out as Xin Lan glanced back at Xiaochun. I hope you can take care of the rubbish you made. Xiaochuns lips twitched in confusion and she nodded. As Xin Lan was about to walk out, Xiaochun called out to her again. Can I join your team, Ill give you all I have on me. Xin Lan shook her head and Xiaochuns expression dimmed for a moment. Do you think Ive done wrong? I wont interfere if theres an issue, theres no excuse for doing something to survive, but it doesnt make it right. But only one squad can survive, there are only three of you on the team, why wont you let me join? Xiaochuns eyes were slightly red and she was very confused. Shen Shuiyan didnt wait outside for Xin Lan to come out and heard the commotion inside and poked her head in. I can do better than that new teammate you took in last night, I can do more for you, so why not let me join? Xiaochun looked stubbornly at Xin Lan, wanting to wait for a result. It wasnt that she didnt have any ideas, but after comparing their force levels with each other, Xiaochun knew she had no chance of winning against Xin Lan, but she wanted to get out of this hellhole. Did Zhou Ming Fang take a swing at you? Xin Lan asked coldly, causing Xiaochun to freeze. Without another word, Xin Lan turned around and walked out the door. Xin Lan rarely looked at the wrong person, and it was normal for Xiaochun to be repressing something in her mind from the school violence she had been subjected to before, but that was no excuse for her to make a mistake. If she could, Xin Lan would only want her teammate to be kind and decent. But in a situation as bad as this, how many people can hold their ground. Its not that Xin Lan hadnt thought of taking Xiaochun out, but Xiaochun herself had done it. She was not a saint, nor could she help all beings. What were you guys talking about, why am I listening to it in the clouds? Shen Shuiyan had a little bit of understanding, but what they were saying was too cryptic, and there were things she couldnt connect yet. Didnt you just say there was a stench inside the room? Hmm. Inside that wardrobe opposite my bed, I reckon theres a body in there. Zhou Ming Fang? Shen Shuiyan didnt actually know who Zhou Ming Fang was, but probably guessed it was Xin Lans temporary bunkmate. Maybe. Xin Lan couldnt say for sure who was hiding inside the wardrobe, but already had the answer in her mind. The reason why she knew that something had happened to Zhou Ming Fang too was because she had seen the blood spots on Zhou Ming Fangs table and chairs, as well as the bracelet on the balcony. That Bracelet Xin Lan had seen on Zhou Ming Fangs hand, and Xin Lan had asked Zero Nine to scan the lawn under the balcony afterwards and learned that there was a dead body there. But by relying on this it was not possible to draw a complete conclusion, and it was only when Xin Lan had just asked that the answer was affirmed. You knew about it last night? Xin Lan nodded. Why didnt you tell me? Afraid you wouldnt sleep well if you were timid. Xin Lan said as if teasing, and with a stride of her long legs, she walked in front of Shen Shuiyan. Shen Shuiyan froze at her back, then followed with a smile. The tigers tenderness, ah, was really hard to resist. At the same time he also had some curiosity about what kind of person she was supposed to be originally. It should have been a cool and handsome girl, like now. Iron Armour covering her body, seemingly capable of anything. The place for the discussion, Xin Lan and the girls chose was the dormitory. Shen Shuiyan took out one of her own, Xu Deng took out two, and Xin Lan took out five. When Xu Lan saw the five that Xin Lan took out, she was glad that she was a teammate. We have eight here now, two of which can be put together, but only one of the edges, the others dont fit together at all. Five for Xin Lan, one for herself, one for Tao Ling, one for the rules award, and two for the unknown deceased. Who said we only had eight, wait for me. Shen Shuiyan took out a pen and paper from the table and drew things out as she remembered them. Is this a clue fragment? Xu Lantern said with great surprise as she saw what she was drawing. Zou Yun Feis and theirs? Xin Lan inquired, and Shen Shuiyan nodded. Shen Shuiyan drew four of them out at once, and two of them could actually be matched up. Excellent. Xin Lan raised an eyebrow at Shen Shuiyan and received a smile from the other party. According to what we saw last night, it will only get worse after that, so the three of us need to stay together and never act alone. Xu Deng nodded, it was just too dangerous to be alone. According to my experience, going to the classroom during the hunt and looking carefully may lead to a surprise, also during the class, if you can answer the npcs questions, you may be rewarded as well. Does npc mean teacher, the teacher in our class didnt ask any questions. Xu Deng said. It might just be a probability. Shen Shuiyans finger tapped on the table. Lets not analyze the nature of this game, maybe it is a boring prank, anyway it must be a supernatural event, something beyond our perceived capabilities, the purpose of this game is to make the players involved kill each other, some times this game may not have an exit at all, but we have to believe it does. Shen Shuiyan looked at the twelve fragments in front of her, not counting the ones that could not be put together, they still needed thirty-eight more. If everyone got a different one in their hands, there was no way to find that way out by collecting fifty of them. Follow me tonight and well grab it. Xin Lan put the pile of pieces away, her brow taking on a stoic look. Seriously, she didnt want to hit a woman if she didnt have to. But now was the time of necessity. Xin Lan didnt really have much pity in her heart, only a distaste for this kind of game. Robbing openly and honestly? Xu Deng gulped. Or what? There was simply no way to get someone to die willingly in this situation, and if it was to do some despicable act, Xin Lan was not too willing. Xin Lan looked at her hands and narrowed her eyes. She may not have been cut out to be an outright villain, but she still made excellent antagonist. Xin Lan vaguely remembered her first world as Doomsday, as a madman who wanted to destroy the world. She ended up dying in the gnawing of the zombies, and she had nightmares all night coming out of that one. So each time she chooses to fade her memories and pull away from her emotions, remembering is all, its just too vague. Shes getting better at her job, while her personality inevitably changes a little. Gloomy, paranoid, agitated, crazy, thats just a certain side of her. She hoped that she still remembered that she had been a decent and kind person, but the truth was that when she faced this kind of game in seeing those people, she would not even consider them dead or alive. When Xin Lan entered the class, Zou Yun Fei and the others were already sitting there. When they saw Xin Lan enter, Zou Yun Fei and Chu Lus faces were sunken and ugly, especially Zou Yun Fei. When he saw Xin Lan, his wounds from last night hurt even worse. How could he be a man if this grudge was not avenged? When Zou Yun Fei saw Shen Shuiyan beside Xin Lan, his mouth watered with bitterness. Why did she have to stay with Xin Lan and betray their squad? It was obvious that they had a better relationship, wasnt it? Zou Yun Fei kept staring at Shen Shuiyan, who had nothing to be uncomfortable about and instead gave a smile. As always, she was polite and courteous. However, Zou Yun Feis heart was on fire, feeling that Shen Shuiyan was provoking him. Zou Yun Feis hand clenched into a fist and cursed the bitch in a low voice. Chu Lu and Zhou Zhous faces also looked bad, and Zhou Zhou tugged at Zou Yun Fei, telling him to hold back. Their four-man squad turned into three, two were still wounded, and with Xin Lans terrifying combat prowess, Zhou Zhous heart sank. Zero Nine: Sister Lan! The ex-boyfriend is scolding Shen Shuiyan! Xin Lan: Who is brain-dead? He doesnt like Shen Shuiyan? Zero Nine: According to my experience, the scum must have felt that Shen Shuiyan had betrayed him or something! Xin Lan: Betray him, my ass, who does he think he is? Seeing that Zou Yun Fei was still looking at their side, Xin Lan stood up and threw a book that hit Zou Yun Feis head with unerring precision. What are you looking at? Never seen a good-looking person? You! Zou Yun Feis forehead was smashed red, and with that bruised and swollen face, it was extraordinarily hideous and comical. If you dont like it, hit me. Can you beat that? Snort. CH 17 The Escape 17 It had been a very nerve-wracking scene, everyone was fascinated by the commotion, but their expressions were somewhat apathetic. A class that was clearly full yesterday had now lost a good half of it. There was also a section of those who were sitting in their seats with resentful eyes. Dont think I dare to do anything to you! After creating this humiliation, Zou Yun Fei looked at the other students sitting down and stood up with clenched teeth. It was so humiliating, Zou Yun Fei didnt think he would be so humiliated by a girl. Xin Lans condescending and contemptuous eyes, like he was something dirty and filthy. She was afraid that she hadnt forgotten who it was that had to be him in the first place, with a knee-jerk posture. Yun Fei, dont be impulsive. Zhou Zhou patted him, and Zou Yun Fei slapped his hand away. The three of us are still afraid of a woman like her? But yesterday C did you forget that shes not normal now? And its not hunting time yet. Of course Zou Yun Fei knew it wasnt hunting time, and on that basis he dared to get up and shout. Can you? Xin Lan strode over, and Zou Yun Feis body involuntarily stiffened. Xin Lans attitude was direct, looking down on you meant that she looked down on you. Give me my book. Xin Lan stretched out her hand and Zhou Zhou hurriedly picked up her book and handed it to her. Everyone looked at it and thought it was strange, but no one had the heart to discuss this, they were all about to die, what did they care about other peoples conflicts, they were all enemies. Just because it was not hunting time yet, everybody could only press down their panic and anxiety. Xin Lan took the book, and remembering that this man had just scolded Shen Shuiyan, she raised her hand and hit Zou Yun Fei in the face with the book, and turned around to go back. Earlier in the day, Xin Lan had found out that it was possible to fight during non-hunting periods, except that there might be a limit. Because that night, Tao Ling had tried to stab her with a knife, but she had snatched the knife with her backhand and chipped a piece of flesh off her hand after twisting the bone. It was already the end of the hunt, but she was not punished in any way. Looking back at the announcement of the rules between now and then, the rules say that those who resort to means outside the hunt will be wiped out. This particular phrase, namely to resort to means, is intriguing. When Xin Lan returned, Shen Shuiyan had a somewhat worried expression, while Xu Deng was dumbfounded. Will it be okay to do it? Its okay, do you remember what the rules said? Xin Lan leaned down and said with a low smile in Shen Shuiyans ear. Shen Shuiyans head went blank for a split second as Xin Lans breathing was breathed into her ear, and that low laugh made her heart throb a little. The moisture of her breath made half of her body tingle for a moment, her fingers digging into her palm to calm the sensation down. She thought she might be too close for her liking, and her mind began to recall what the rules had said. She raised an eyebrow in a daze and locked eyes with Xin Lan, her eyes conveying a mutual understanding of what they meant. Boss, this is too cool for a public beating in the face, isnt it? Arent you afraid hell retaliate? Xu Deng was taken aback by Xin Lans action, that was a boy after all, would it be bad to piss him off come hunting time? Whose work do you think that wound on his body is? Xu Deng glanced at the wretched Zou Yun Fei and gave a thumbs up to Xin Lan. Cool, too cool. Xu Deng pushed the frames of her own glasses and went out hopefully. Xin Lan! Zou Yun Fei gritted his teeth, he would make sure this person would look good! Why are you making loud noises during class time? The npc Teacher stepped in from outside and frowned at the standing Zou Yun Fei. Zou Yun Fei did not dare to provoke the npc, contorted his face to hold back his anger and sat down. Its true that you cant talk during class, but that doesnt mean you cant pass notes. Shen Shuiyan wrote what she wanted to say in her book and looked at the blackboard and pushed the book over. Shen Shuiyan: There must be other clues on them, when do you plan to strike? Xin Lan: Tonight, and beating them isnt about the clues. Shen Shuiyan: Then why? Xin Lan couldnt say it was because Zou Yun Fei had scolded her, so she put pen to paper and replied with two words. Xin Lan: Old grudges. Shen Shuiyan thought for a moment that Xin Lan had no more feelings for Zou Yunfei, that was for sure. The only thing is that Zou Yun Feis look of defiance is definitely not willing. If Xin Lan is trying to take revenge, she should break his heart so that she can pay back the resentment she had at the beginning. But things have been like this, it is estimated that Zou Yun Fei has been beaten out of the shadows, this character of Xin Lan also does not seem to be able to be false and submissive. Shen Shuiyan arched her lips and came up with an idea. She wrote down another paragraph in her notebook and put it in front of Xin Lan. Shen Shuiyan: Do you know about Infernal Affairs? Xin Lan: Mm-hmm? Shen Shuiyan: Ill help you as a spy. Xin Lan gave a surprised look at Shen Shuiyan, who raised her eyebrows at her, that smile was not like the old one, and it breathed a sense of bubbling badness. Xin Lan: No need to bother you like this. Shen Shuiyan: Its no trouble at all. You want to get back at him, right? Xin Lan: Yes. Zero Nine was relieved as hell in the system space, thankfully the host hadnt forgotten what their mission really was. It didnt matter at all whether they got out or not, what was important was to make the scum regret it. The host will usually go off to make the scum turn around and fall in love all over again, thinking the woman tastes damn sweet, slapping the face like crazy, maybe come out with someone else to irritate the scum, and then at the end of the day choose someone else or no one at all, and kick the scum out, and when they do, drop a deep voice of pain, preferably dropping a couple of tears and saying something like theres no more potential for us , so that the scumbag boyfriend was heartbroken to no end. However, Xin Lan did not follow the script, coming up and just doing what she wanted to do, now the scum did not say that he liked her, it would be good if he did not shiver when he saw her near, and probably wanted to cut Xin Lan to pieces in his heart, this is how to make the scum hurt, at most it is just a pain in the body. But Zero Nine can not persuade ah, Zero Nine also simply dare not persuade. Unlike all the other hosts in the Face Slapping Department, Xin Lan didnt seem to fit in as a protagonist because she didnt give a damn about getting scum to like her. In fact not only did she disdain it, Xin Lan seemed to think it was a waste of life to even say one more word to the scum, except in the middle of a slap in the face. To ask Xin Lan to seduce men to fall in love with her and then play them around, Zero Nine felt that it was estimated that even if she, the system, were to retire, this scene would not even be possible. What Xin Lan is likely to do is to steal the scums business and take the path that the scum took, leaving the scum with no way out. This is the business type face-slapping, but the ex-girlfriend line she chose is the emotional line of face-slapping ah hey! Shen Shuiyan saw a word of her affirmation and twirled the pen between her fingers. She had overheard them talking about Xin Lan when she was in Zou Yun Feis group, but that attitude was simply one of looking down on them. Little Tiger was strong, but she didnt know that against people like that, crushing them in force would humiliate them, but in her heart she wouldnt admit that she was wrong. If Little Tiger wont do it, shell do it. If Xin Lan really pulls her face down and goes by herself, then its not like her. Shen Shuiyan: Its no trouble, its a small thing, just cooperate with me. Xin Lan saw it, but did not reply to it. By all accounts, this is her mission alone, and Shen Shuiyan has no relationship with her, she can use Shen Shuiyan as her teammate to reach her purpose, but, Shen Shuiyan helping her with this kind of behavior was not reluctant, how can she say it, it was wonderful. If she was still a villain stop, she could no longer think that way. She was no longer a villain, and she would always be forgetting. What Shen Shuiyan thought, she actually almost understood in her heart. What Zero Nine said, she understood all of it as well. The rationale is understood, its just that Xin Lan really doesnt want to force herself to act and eat garbage against such a scum of a man character. Maybe thats a bit crude, but she feels that in this kind of situation, if you can beat someone up first to get out of it, why do you have to put yourself on the line, especially if the other person doesnt treat you well? The first thing to say is that she will not be nice, just this kind of replica of the situation, Zou Yun Fei and that attitude, even if she speaks nicely, the other party must have also give face to the shame. If you have a person locked up first and have a real person attack him, a hundred out of a hundred straight men will go crazy, and then keep applying psychological pressure, anyway, he is still just a student, not a trained person, it is expected that he will soon have a psychological breakdown, maybe even a disorder is also uncertain, by then he will definitely cry and beg for mercy. By then, not to mention the pain or lack of it, he probably wouldnt even be able to think. Xin Lan reviewed her plan and sighed in her heart, what a good plan, just a bit too perverse. It was obviously very un-protagonist. Shen Shuiyan glanced at Xin Lan every now and then to see when she would give her the letter of the note back. Xin Lan feigned looking at the blackboard, her heart didnt want to condemn Shen Shuiyan to face those few peoples. Zero Nine is getting anxious, such a good helper here, how can the host not say yes. Zero Nine: host agree ah, such a good opportunity it, the school bully is absolutely no problem Xin Lan: But I dont want to bother her. Zero Nine: Its just a character in a mission world, you wont see her when you get out. However, if youre looking for a good opportunity, of course youll take it, but she just doesnt want to aggravate Shen Sheiyan either. This sentiment was like when she didnt tell Shen Shuiyan last night that there was a corpse in the wardrobe, fearing that she would be uncomfortable. There was no need to put Shen Shuiyan through the grievance when she could have just done it. It was simply that, but how could she say such a thing? It was too embarrassing. By the time this class ended, Shen Shuiyan did not wait for Xin Lan to get back to her. Dont you want to? Shen Shuiyan asked, did Xin Lan want to come by herself, or did she not want other Goddesses near Zou Yun Fei? The former Shen Shuiyan could accept, the latter she felt less comfortable thinking about. Not unwilling, Zou Yun Fei is annoying, just a scum, and the ones around him are not good either, dont want you to go play some infernal commission yourself. Shen Shuiyan understood and took hold of Xin Lans hand. That hand was warm even in winter, and the skin on it was smooth and soft, very comfortable to hold. Little Tiger was scared of troubling her ah, to say the least, Little Tigers sense of individualism was really strong, pushing her to the back when it came to fighting, even when she was in danger. How can you feel aggrieved about something like taking it out for you. CH 18 The Escape 18 Shen Shuiyan is serious, the little tiger she could not get out of her mind. If she just beats Zou Yun Fei up, she still feels that it is too cheap for Zou Yun Fei. The things that she didnt care much about before now became extraordinarily important. Although Little Tiger might not be the original Xin Lan, there was no doubt that she wanted to avenge that Xin Lan, otherwise she wouldnt have beaten up Zou Yun Fei. Since Little Tiger wanted to, of course she had to help. However, the fact that she is used to this kind of thing anyway is not at all a problem for her. Once Xin Lan was baffled, her first reaction was actually that Shen Shuiyans hands were so cold. Your hands are so cold. Its like this in winter, after all, the hands have just been outside. Hey you dont change the subject. Theres no changing the subject. Its just discussion time anyway to go for a bit, Ill do the spying. The unspoken spy of spies. Good. Of course Shen Shuiyan couldnt possibly go and defect now, she sat in her seat and listened to the lecture with a dual purpose, her mind deducing her plan. Xu Deng listened to the clouds beside her, not knowing what Xin Lan and Shen Shuiyan were playing at, but she also knew better than to ask. At lunchtime, the canteen was considerably less crowded. Everyone was in a hurry, and even though it wasnt the hunting period, the air seemed to be filled with a tense atmosphere. Xu Deng saw that Xin Lan and Shen Shuiyan had little expression on their faces, so she didnt ask much. In a little circle of trees not far from the canteen, Zou Yun Fei leaned against a tree trunk. Yun Fei, what are we waiting for here? Chu Lu asked in confusion, and Zhou Zhou also looked confused. Shen Shuiyan asked me to wait for her here. Zou Yun Fei had a complicated expression, unable to say what he was feeling. As he prepared to go out from the classroom, he locked eyes with Shen Shuiyan, who made a gesture to him. Didnt that bitch go to that persons team, and she asked you to meet her? Chu Lu glared, with an expression that wanted to curse. Cant you talk? Zou Yun Fei glared at him, Chu Lu moved his lips and closed his mouth. Zou Yun Fei still had complicated feelings towards Shen Shuiyan, Shen Shuiyan was the goddess he had not reached, he had treated her as one of his own when he was in a team and was willing to hold up and protect her, he did not expect Shen Shuiyan to leave without saying a word, and let him be taught a lesson by Xin Lan. He was betrayed and disgraced again, and the wounds on his body still indicated the tragedy of that day. But when Shen Shuiyan said she wanted to see him, he still came. One wanted to know why Shen Shuiyan had made an appointment to see him, and the other wanted to know why Shen Shuiyan had changed teams without saying a word. Shen Shuiyan walked over, quickening her pace as she was about to approach. She spoke up before Zou Yun Fei could say anything. I have remembered a few clues of Xin Lans, this is the one I drew down when she wasnt looking, there are others, but I only drew one for fear of being discovered, you guys keep it. Shen Shuiyan took out a piece of paper in her pocket and stuffed it into Zou Yun Feis hand. Zou Yunfeis words were blocked and he was a bit stunned. Shuiyan, are you ? Its a very long story so Ill make it short, I was talking to Xin Lan about how I went back to the school building to get my stuff. That evening Xin Lan originally wanted to rob my things, I simply could not beat her, who knew she would be so strong, then she asked me if I wanted to be her teammate, but I said I have teammates, you guys are my teammates, but Zou Yun Fei you and her she left a phrase that she went to find you, and left, yesterday I never had the opportunity to contact you guys, today when discussing I deliberately remembered two, drew one to you guys. Shen Shuiyan spoke quickly, and looked in the direction outside the grove from time to time as she spoke, her expression a little panicked. She tried her best to avoid saying the word fragment to avoid being grounded. Zou Yun Feis three people gave her a dumbfounded look, and after a few seconds, Zou Yun Fei figured it out and broke into a smile. The movement of the smile was so big that it pulled the wound on the side of his mouth, causing him to bare his teeth in pain. I just thought how could you have somehow run to another team, it turned out that she threatened you, but why did she ask you if you wanted to be her teammate? The stone in Zou Yun Feis heart fell to the ground, because he felt embarrassed for wronging Shen Shuiyan before, he then said that Shen Shuiyan couldnt be the kind of person who suddenly would betray. I had a bit of a friendship with her, the relationship wasnt bad. So thats how it is. By the way, how did you get that bruise on your face? Is it so bad that you guys are fighting internally? Yesterday we were all robbing each other on the girls side too, it was horrible, Xin Lan and I said that she beat you up, but how is it possible, a girl like her couldnt have beaten someone up like that even if she was stronger. Shen Shuiyan forced a little tear out of her eyes, setting off her slightly pale face to become even more charming. Zou Yun Feis expression twisted for a moment and he responded with a grim face. He couldnt admit in front of the girl he liked that he had been beaten up by a girl, or an ex-girlfriend, without losing face. Cant talk about it, Ill go first so she doesnt suspect me anymore, well meet tonight for hunting time if we get a chance. Wait, youre here why dont you just stay with us? Im a girl, you cannot let me live in the boys dormitory, and Im on her side now, so I can still help you guys out a bit and find a chance to get that thing. Shen Shuiyan said helplessly, and Zou Yun Feis heart warmed. Its still you who has thought of everything. Only one team can survive, it must be us! Shen Shuiyan said as if in encouragement and hurriedly turned around to leave. As she turned around, the corners of her lips brought a sly smile. It was true that only one team would survive, but it had to be her and Little Tigers team. Yun Fei, could it be that something is odd? Zhou Zhou was a bit worried, was it really such a good thing to go to another team and still think about their team? Just youre suspicious, forget it if you dont believe in it. The smile on Zou Yun Feis face diminished slightly, he still said he was a brother, he didnt help at all when Xin Lan did it that day, and now that Shen Shuiyan came to his aid, he actually doubted Shen Shuiyan. Xin Lan is a psychopath, how could a girl as soft and weak as Shen Shuiyan be her opponent, its a good thing that she has a bit of friendship, otherwise Shen Shuiyan might not be able to tell what happened to her now. When she thought of the way Shen Shuiyan looked at him before she left, it was clear to her that she didnt feel nothing for him, so she was reluctant even when she was in another team. Girls, in this kind of environment, always have to rely on boys. See how long she can be complacent, Xin Lan! Oops, I just forgot to ask Shen Shuiyan how many things are on Xin Lans side. Chu Lu was a little crestfallen, and Zou Yun Fei was that way, and he believed it. He had known that Zou Yun Fei liked Shen Shuiyan, besides what good did it do for people to lie to them? This situation now is only a fight, Xin Lan is so powerful, if Shen Shuiyan willingly followed, it would be a good way to snatch them out, there is no need to come here to act, that is, for Zou Yun Fei can not forget it well. Zhou Zhou was dragged by out Chu Lu and said a series of reasons, the suspicion in his heart was also dispelled. Zou Yun Fei listened soothingly from the side, thinking that this was what was going on. When Shen Shuiyan went back, she put things into a short sentence. They believed it? Xin Lan wasnt too surprised, no matter how intelligent one is, one is always easily confused by preconceived notions like that, and one always adds a filter to those they like, if Shen Shuiyan was selling herself as weak in front of Zou Yun Fei, he would probably immediately burst with chauvinism and want to protect her properly. I told you it wouldnt be a hassle, look how long Ive only been away and its a fake for them, let them be happy first. Shen Shuiyan nodded her head, completely lacking the vainness of a calculating person. Xu Deng was silent beside her, feeling as if she had heard some kind of conspiracy. Hmm, lets pretend like we didnt hear it then. There are only three people in the dormitory for the time being; Xiaochun hasnt returned and is nowhere to be found. The three people in the dormitory didnt care, they werent on the same team anyway. That thing should have been taken care of, right? Shen Shuiyan thought of the corpse in the wardrobe, she always felt that the unpleasant smell was still there, and it was very strong, not sure if it was the lingering smell she hadnt cleared plus her mental effect, or if the corpse was really still there. Just take a look and youll see. Xin Lan pulled open the wardrobe, which contained only a pile of blood-stained clothes. Was it disposed of, yet where could it be thrown away? Shen Shuiyan thought about what Xin Lan and Xiaochun had said in the morning, but the whereabouts of the body was also confusing. With so many people missing from the class, where was the body? Maybe its missing. For as long as its a corpse it will be recycled just like the rules address? Shen Shuiyan thought again of the two strange ghosts that were singing a childrens song earlier, maybe the dead body would be recycled a bit more? Xu Deng listened beside them, and according to their meaning, there was a corpse inside this room last night, and she had originally walked towards the bed above this wardrobe, no wonder Xin Lan had stopped her. She didnt observe that carefully, but she thought that someone had jumped off the building last night, and the body seemed to have disappeared this morning. What we saw the other day, was what that man said true or not? They were talking about things that had nothing to do with clue fragments and the way out, they wouldnt be banned, they were all on the same team now, and Shen Shuiyan didnt care about Xu Deng, she believed that Xu Deng was a person with insight and was unlikely to turn against them in this situation. Who knows, maybe its real, maybe its not. That punishment game, the human skinned ghost had said at the beginning, there were many more people than just them involved in the four hundred person game. Whether it was true or not meant nothing, Xin Lan was certain that it was possible to get out of here, after all, in the subsequent episode, Zou Yun Fei had taken Shen Shuiyan out. The atmosphere was quiet, no one spoke. Shen Shuiyan suddenly felt a warm feeling on her hand and looked at the white and slender hand she had resting on her own. Look at you, your hand is so cold, dont you know to put it in your pocket? Xin Lan was counting, and her hand was suddenly held tight. CH 19 The Escape 19 Xin Lan looked over somewhat strangely, only to see Shen Shuiyan rubbing her hands together self-consciously, trying to keep her hands warm. Go to bed first, and put your hands under the covers. Shen Shuiyan nodded, a slight reluctance crossing her heart as Xin Lan pulled her own hand away. The little tigers hand is so warm, like a heating pad, you want to hold it in your hand all the time, and it feels so much better than a heating pad. The way the little tiger was so gentle, it simply made hearts melt. It is obviously very beautiful looking and just seems demonic, but when she raises her eyes, she can feel that cold current, but it is like a burning blaze. One knows it is precious and one knows it is not to be tainted. But when she lowered her eyes and covered her hand to keep her warm, that little bit of tenderness made people fall in love with her. Shen Shuiyan could hardly describe her feelings in simple terms, not just shock or pleasure. It was a sudden loss of the frequency of the heart rate, like the collapse of a snow mountain or the melting of ice and snow, making ones mind go blank for a moment. Shen Shuiyan undressed and got into bed, Xin Lan was already lying down on her side and closed her eyes. Why do you always fall asleep so quickly? That was an enviable quality of sleep. Sometimes you can appreciate the preciousness of sleep when you dont have it. Xin Lan said with her eyes closed and continued to sleep on her own. Shen Shuiyan watched her thoughtfully, what did no sleep mean, it should be something that Little Tiger had experienced before, it didnt sound like a good thing. Shen Shuiyan didnt think much about it, as she couldnt think of anything anyway, so she simply lay down and went back to sleep, still in a peaceful sleeping position, even though she was now eager to take Xin Lans hand. After the lunch break, it was still time to go back to class. Xin Lan thought that this system was actually a bit more relaxing, at least there was room to breathe. But in the afternoon class, she thought otherwise. The PE teacher came in from outside and told them that this was a PE class and that they had to finish gathering in the yard in ten minutes. Everyone dared not disobey the npcs words, so after the teacher walked out, the students walked outside the classroom. Xin Lan wondered what this rule was playing at, thinking that maybe there might be something about a reward, but also that it might not be anything good. Zou Yun Fei walked out, keeping an eye on Shen Shuiyan and the girls in front of him from the back. Shen Shuiyan glanced back, her eyes were full of theatricality. The girls eyes were full of emotion, but she didnt see it, and if she had, she would have been slapping herself. This is some kind of sentimental reluctance to leave the body in Cao camp and the heart in the Han camp. Zou Yun Feis heart was stirred, his bruises still hadnt completely disappeared, his face was still swollen and he was in pain from walking, but his mood was soaring and his body was full of motivation. What he didnt realize was how mocking Shen Shuiyans eyes were after he turned his head. In less than ten minutes, everyone was gathered in the yard. The schoolyard of this high school is still large, with a synthetic track and artificial grass, with benches on both sides. They assembled on the synthetic track and formed a line, but the line was missing the opening. Xin Lan had just counted that there were only twenty-two people in the class, including her, which meant that eighteen people had died in their class in one night. What a shocking number it was, their class was still like this and there was no telling what it would be like in other classes. The PE teacher was on the steps and blew a whistle. Everyone stood at attention, awaiting what would happen next. Lets start with a warm-up, all of you, spread out. Everyone spread out and took distance from the left and right side. Its a warm-up exercise, ah, weve all played throwing handkerchiefs, right? The PE teacher waved the red handkerchief in her hand, it was a very comical scene, but no one dared to laugh. Twenty-two people, whos going to do that handkerchief toss first? No one answered. Their expressions were all stiff with a touch of fear, and Shen Shuiyans heart sank as she had an idea of what she would face next. No one says anything, so lets do rock-paper-scissors, the loser continues, and if there is one person who is different from everyone else, then its that person. Twenty-two players in rock-paper-scissors is indeed a vast endeavour. But no one dared to say that this was inconvenient, and apprehensively held out their hands. There was a rule in it, it was a game of compatibility, as long as someone came up with a different one, as long as someone came up with a different one every time, it was an unsolvable game of death, but the NPCs were obviously guarded against this, so Xin Lan dismissed the idea that it was risky for each of the three people in the team to come up with a different one. Not to mention that in such a non-negotiable situation, it was simply too difficult to signal two teammates with a glance what to play. After all, no one knows what youre going to play next, so its good to give your teammates a hint, but its not good if someone else sees it. The start of the guessing game was somewhat chaotic, with everyone coming out differently, although none of them were different from everyone else, and after three games, there was a clear balance. Shen Shuiyans brain was frantically racing, calculating the various probabilities and thinking of what she should play in a few seconds. Xin Lan was more spontaneous, playing whatever she liked. After five rounds, five people had beaten the others and walked out of the battle circle. Shen Shuiyan was one of the five, and was looking nervously in Xin Lans direction. Xin Lan came out for the third time and Xu Deng for the fourth, so there were only four people left in the guessing team. These four people all had nervous expressions, playing a guessing game as if they were going to die. There were only two people left. The two remaining people settled on a winner, the one who won was jubilant and the one who lost looked ashen. Okay, the handkerchief throwers are out, everyone form a circle. On Xin Lans left was Shen Shuiyan, on her right was Xu Deng, and Zou Yun Fei was on her left diagonal side. Since this is a rather large circle, we will all join together and sing the handkerchief throwing song three times, during this time, the one who is thrown the handkerchief has ten minutes to chase the person in front of them, the one who catches is safe and cannot be chosen again, the one who is chased , the PE teacher gave a laugh, The unqualified students should be eliminated, in turn if the one who catches someone doesnt, the end is the same, there are three rounds in total in this warm up, well, lets start now. The crowd was dead silent after hearing the NPC speak, didnt being eliminated mean death? Who would be willing to die if they didnt collect clues in the previous ones, or if they died here after dodging the previous ones? However, there was no way out, everyone could only pray that they were not the chosen one and could escape the one in twenty-one probability of the first round. For the one who lost the guessing, the probability of life and death would be one in two. Xin Lan was thinking of something else, this was only a warm up and three people were going to die, what about the official sport afterwards? The rules were too malicious, a limited time for the hunt, yet all sorts of extra competitions were scheduled. These people sitting here are doomed to face the fear of death, brushing up against it again and again. This fear is not the same as the people around them bring to themselves, it has to come more directly and more brutally. Xin Lan was still confident in her ability of speed. Most of the escape games, the survival rate would be much higher if one had a good physical fitness, and in the case of this game, physical strength and physical agility were needed everywhere, whether it was the current handkerchief throwing or the horrible teaching building in the previous punishment game, or this overall game, the scramble for the clue pieces. Why dont you sing, sing! And yes, better clap too oh, were playing a game, playing a game is supposed to be cheerful. Someone shuddered at the sound of his voice, and a sparse clapping and singing sounded, while at the same time the body of the one throwing the handkerchief began to move. Throw, throw, throw the handkerchief, Gently put it on the back of the little one, Dont tell her, everyone, Come on, come on, catch her, Come on, come on, catch her. The joyful song was sung like funeral music by everyone, one girl even sang in a crying voice. And the song, not allowing to be stopped, had to be sung twice more. Throw, throw, throw the handkerchief, gently put it on the back of the little one, dont tell her, hurry up and catch her, hurry up and catch her. The words that usually sounded harmless seemed at this moment to be something like a death wish, everyone had no way to tell if the handkerchief was thrown behind their backs and could only rely on the expressions of the people opposite to see if the chosen one was theirs. By the third time the song was sung, the chosen boy immediately took off running and the chosen girl noticed and immediately chased after him with her handkerchief. By picking a girl, it did seem that the chances of winning were better. Just a moment ago it was the Chooser and the Chosen, and the moment the handkerchief was thrown down, the identities of the two sides were suddenly reversed. One was running ahead and the other was in hot pursuit. It was like a grotesque party, everyone in a circle, but with faces full of panic. The one being chased, who had obviously dropped the key to death, was now running and running like a helpless sacrificial lamb. The hunter behind her had no knife in her hand, but it was as good as a knife, but it was a double-edged knife that could have ended her life with one wrong move. No one has the heart to look at the fun, because no one knows if they will be next. Only those who knew it well would be nervous, the rest had their hearts in their prayers and faces full of indifference. Some would even be thinking to themselves, Die more, die more. The girl whose handkerchief had been thrown did not catch up after all, and broke down and cried in her place. Everyone watched as her body fell limp and a chill ran from her tailbone straight to her skull. The pieces of her clue will be given to whomever she wills, and the next person who throws the handkerchief will be decided by the previous person who survived definitely. The PE teacher chuckled, but anyone could see the malice in the sound of his laughter. Everyone immediately looked at the boy who had sat down to fill the vacancy of the girl who had just been there, lest he should choose himself. The boy hesitated for a moment and chose one of the twenty remaining boys. The boy stood up, picked up the red handkerchief on the floor and looked viciously at the one who had chosen to be him. The song started again, and after three times, who would be the one to die? Throw, throw, throw the handkerchief, gently put it on the back of the little one, dont tell her, everyone, hurry hurry hurry catch her, hurry hurry hurry catch her! CH 20 The Escape 20 In the second round, the boy chose the same girl, who grabbed her handkerchief and chased after him with all her might. The potential was endless and the girl actually made a mad dash and caught the boy, falling to the ground almost out of breath. The boy that was caught had a desperate expression on his face and broke down, tearing at the girls clothes as his form slowly dissipated. We have a third round to go and our warm up is over oh who do you want to pick? The teacher asked with a big smile, and the girls eyes darted around the crowd, a little confused. As far as gender like consciousness was concerned, she was dead set on letting more girls survive, but there was a good chance that something would happen to a girl whether this initiative was given to a boy or a girl, and there was no way she was going to pick her own teammate when she didnt know any of the people here except for one teammate. On her feet, she placed the handkerchief behind the selected person. Shen Shuiyan stood up with the handkerchief and gave the girl a faint look. Zou Yun Fei glared at the girl with an expression that suggested he wanted to kill her. Xin Lans expression went cold the moment that girl put down her handkerchief. Shen Shuiyans physical condition was not very good, otherwise she would not have been an intellectual, her physical strength was only at the level of an average girl, what would she do if she could not catch up with the people in front of her? When Shen Shuiyan stood up, Xin Lan made a gesture to her, but Shen Shuiyan started to walk in a circle as if she didnt see it. What Xin Lan wanted to say was that if Shen Shuiyan was not sure, she could pick her, and she would definitely let Shen Shuiyan win. For her the biggest issue would be to fail the mission, but for Shen Shiyan, it would be death. She could just as easily get out of here with Zou Yun Feis end if she failed her mission and withdrew. She looked at Shen Shuiyan and watched what she would choose. The first song stopped and the second one began. Shen Shuiyan had planned her target and pulled away after putting down her handkerchief. Shen Shuiyans chosen one was also a girl, she had no pity for the girl, purely from strength, she wanted to make sure she survived. How could it be, when she had seen Little Tigers mouth pattern, how could she have possibly gone for her to pick her. If Little Tiger deliberately let her win, then what difference would it make to her personally sending Little Tiger to her death? She appreciated this sentiment from Little Tiger, and she would try harder. Shen Shuiyan felt that she was running at the fastest speed ever, but she was not just rushing forward, she was pulling out a safe distance and trying hard to finish the ten minutes. Ten minutes were up and the girl didnt catch up. Shen Shuiyan let out a sigh of relief, and Xin Lan hurriedly stood up to support her and let her lean against it to catch her breath. When Zou Yun Fei saw this, he also released the worry, but saw that Shen Shuiyan didnt even look in his direction. Maybe she was too tired. Shen Shuiyan was indeed tired and was not willing to give a single look to anyone unrelated at all. Xin Lan gently patted her back to calm her down. Shen Shuiyan leaned against her and smelled the faint fragrance of her body, and her hand was holding hers, and her heart was very stable. The Little Tiger is really too gentle, so I want to hold her in my arms and brush her hair, and then have a wild session of masturbation, and sucking the Tiger until she is giddy. But this was just a fantasy, the little tiger would definitely give her a good flogging. Okay class, the warm up is over, everyone did very well, so you can rest for ten minutes, be careful not to run around oh, after ten minutes, we will start the official game. The teacher still had that same smiling look on her face, but it made people feel like they had a gloomy day ahead of them. Shen Shuiyan walked to one side and took the bag she was carrying over, and took out a bottle of water from it. Its a good thing I brought water, otherwise it wouldnt have been pleasant after just running for ten minutes. Shen Shuiyan opened the cap of the bottle and took a few big gulps. Do you want to drink? Xin Lan shook her head, and Shen Shuiyan put it back with some regret. The next one should be more dangerous. The warm-up exercise was already so brutal, not to mention the official one. What the hell does it want, I originally thought that it would be enough to avoid that kind of situation, why do we have to do this, so that we have to die? Xu Deng sulked, struggling to suppress the panic in her own heart. It was gentle self-mutilation, and truthfully excessive. Do you feel that this is like a game for children to have fun? Shen Shuiyan had always felt something, and put out her guess, listening to Xu Deng for a moment. Whether it was from the childrens song that the ghost was singing before, or destroying public property to sleep in class, including the handkerchief throwing that had just happened, all of them revealed a feeling of childishness, not like the rules that adults would make. Look at games like this, that kid isnt afraid to compromise their life. Xin Lan sneered, whatever it was, it shouldnt exist. The ten minute break was up and the PE teacher blew the whistle to assemble. Twenty-two people became nineteen, and the line was still scattered. The official event is about to begin, please get ready, all of you, stand at attention! The next game we are going to play is a game you must have played before, it is called What time is Grandma?. Each round, the grandma can decide what time it is, and when the students hear the time, they have to start running and Grandma will go and catch someone. Does everyone understand? The sparse response indicated that everyone was not in a very good mood. The grandma can at most call ten points of time oh, catching time is ten minutes, the scope of activity is the playground, accidentally run out of the students, it is considered a violation of the rules, the grandma caught by the people will be eliminated, a new grandma will be decided by the previous grandma, if no one is caught by the grandma, then the grandma of that game would be eliminated and the new grandma would be decided again by charade. What a childish game of death, Xin Lan no longer wanted to say anything, maybe todays activity should all be called Ten minutes of life and death. By the way, theres one more thing the teacher forgot to add. The hearts of the students who were just about to guess the game were hanging in the air again because of these words of hers. This game is only nine rounds in total, so dont be afraid if you are caught by the Grandma, as long as you can kill the Grandma within ten minutes, then you wont be eliminated. Kill? Force us to kill? The voices of the students buzzed and just exploded. What the hell is this crappy game, why does it have to be like this! Some people were nearly devastated, others were thoughtful. Dont let go of my hand when the time comes. Xin Lan whispered to Shen Shuiyan accordingly. I wont let go. Shen Shuiyan smiled and said, even if it was this kind of scene, it would be nice to have the Little Tiger around. Xu Deng stood by, feeling that she was always out of place in this atmosphere. Once again, a guessing game was used to decide who was the grandma and the game officially began. A group of people pulled into a big circle, and in the middle was a standing, closed-eyed man, a boy. The boy Xin Lan also knew, it was Zhou Zhou from Zou Yun Feis team. His lips were trembling at this point, and he was very stiff. What time is grandma and grandpa? Everyone asked as they walked, ready to run away. Its seven oclock. Zhou Zhous voice was a little dry and tense. What time is Grandma and Grandpa? Its five oclock. What time is Grandma and Grandpa? Its ten oclock. A droplet of cold sweat fell from the corner of Zhou Zhous forehead, he couldnt see the person who kept turning in front of him, but he could sense it. The questioning voice seemed to be stretched to an audible blur, and he was left to remember when he had said it. There were twelve numbers in all, and he could only say them a maximum of ten times, and he could not repeat them. One of the twelve numbers was the password he had set, deciding whether the chase game would begin or not. What time is it, Grandma and Grandma? Its eight oclock. He finished by violently opening his eyes and lunging towards his closest. The girl let out a scream and fled, running desperately forward. Dont chase me dont chase me, please go after someone else! Zhou Zhou ignored it, he had been prepared from the start to concentrate on catching someone first, there was only ten minutes and if he didnt decide on a target there was a good chance he wouldnt finish. Xin Lan pulled Shen Shuiyan with one hand and Xu Deng with the other, pulling the two of them away from Zhou Zhous side as fast as they could. The girl Zhou Zhou was chasing was in the other direction, so Xin Lan let go of Xu Deng. Later you guys be smart, dont stay still here either, watch the change of direction and make sure you pull away from him. Xu Deng nodded, thats what she said, why were those two people still holding hands? This should have been a cheerful scene, blue sky and white clouds, students playing in the playground. But the people who were constantly chasing, the other students who were scrambling to avoid them because of their movements, the teacher who stood on the steps with the curvature of her mouth remaining constant, overshadowed it all. The girl seemed to have exhausted herself somewhat, and behind her Zhou Zhou was approaching closer and closer. Give me your hand, quickly. Someone appeared next to the girl, presumably the girls teammate. The girl was overjoyed and grabbed the hand in a hurry, and the boy pulled her up with him. But this action of pulling her hand was still delayed for a moment, and Zhou Zhou had already caught up with her. The girl gritted her teeth and used all her strength to push the boy beside her into Zhou Zhous arms, while she herself continued to run forward. Zhou Zhou caught the man and stopped chasing him. The boy was stunned to have his hands cut back by Zhou Zhou, and looked at the girl in front of him with hatred after coming back to his senses. I should have known not to save you, you fucking The boys mouth spat out a string of cursing expletives to show his anger. Im sorry, I dont want to die. The girl covered her mouth, her eyes red, and no matter what the boy cursed, she just repeated that she was sorry. The boy didnt just give up struggling either, remembering what the npc had said earlier, he kept twisting his body, trying to get out of Zhou Zhous grip for reverse oppression. Zhou Zhou didnt give him this chance, holding the man down to the death. Ten minutes came and went, and the boy screamed and disappeared in a little bit. The new basilisk was appointed by the previous one, and Zhou Zhou turned around and looked at someone. Xin Lan. CH 21 Chapter 21 Hunting legally (Arc 1) The Escape 21 Xin Lan was not surprised to be named, moving over without a moments hesitation. How dare you name me, Zou Yun Fei, arent you afraid Ill catch up with you? Zou Yun Fei tilted his head and pretended not to hear. Teacher, may I ask, can the last grandma who survived be caught again? Of course you can, its a very free game. The physical education teacher replied. He had thought it was going to be like the last warm-up game where those who had been chosen would not be chosen again. Xin Lan smiled at him good-naturedly and stood in the middle of the circle. You know, I have an old saying that I particularly like. Do unto others as you have been done unto you. Xin Lan had her eyes closed and Zhou Zhou looked wary. Shen Shuiyans eyes never left the person in the middle, she knew there was nothing wrong with her, but she just wanted to watch. What time is it, grandma, grandma? Its four oclock. What time is it, grandma, grandma? One oclock. Xin Lans attitude was very relaxed, with her eyes closed and her hands in her pockets, as if she were on a picnic rather than a frightening game. What time is it grandma, grandma? Twelve oclock. Xin Lan opened her eyes, locked her eyes on her goal and headed in that direction. Zhou Zhous physical strength had already been depleted by the run he had just taken, and now he had little energy left to run. But Zou Yun Fei and Chu Lu were both physically injured, so even if they were to pull him along, they wouldnt be able to run very fast, and if they got in the way, they would probably be caught. Zhou Zhou had to hope that Xin Lan was only a powerful fighter and not a great chaser. But apparently his prayers were to no avail and Xin Lan was soon approaching him. Zhou Zhou was gasping for breath, his survival instincts supporting him as he kept running. His feet were getting heavier and heavier, as if they were filled with solid weight, and the muscles in his legs were aching. Xin Lan followed behind him with ease, enjoying his dying struggle like a cat teasing a mouse. Zero Nine was keeping a timer for Xin Lan, who told her to warn her when the last thirty seconds were up. Although he was also a follower of Zou Yun Fei, he didnt want to be a bastard like Chu Lu, whose mouth was full of nonsense and appeared to be a greasehead, he was less talkative, but his fault was that he had actually pointed her out today. This is good, lets lend a hand with the rules and get rid of one first. Zero Nine: Host, times up! Zhou Zhou was relieved to think that the time was almost up and Xin Lan had not yet caught up with him. Thats good, Xin Lan will be killed by the rules, her stuff will definitely be given to Shen Shuiyan, and without her to threaten Shen Shuiyan, Shen Shuiyan will immediately return to their team, so they have another one less enemy and another clue to win. He hadnt been happy for more than a few seconds when he heard footsteps behind him. A hand grabbed him by the back of his collar, keeping him from moving forward. Got you. The voice was full of mirth, but it froze his body to within an inch of its life. No more, no less, exactly ten minutes. Zhou Zhou disappeared before he could even say a word. Zou Yun Feis eyes were bloodshot, staring at Xin Lan with a deadly glare. What are you looking at me for? You want to be the next one to catch someone, huh? Xin Lan did not hide from Zou Yun Fei, but smiled at him. That smile was so full of provocation that Zou Yunfeis blood rushed to the surface and he wanted to fight her to the death. But he managed to keep some sense and calm himself down. If Xin Lan chose him, he might not be able to chase her, but if he went after someone else, the odds were against him, but Zou Yun Fei did not want to risk his life. Xin Lan didnt choose Zou Yun Fei, she chose Chu Lu. Zou Yun Fei had to be kept around to be abused. Suppose he was too good and really didnt get anyone, if he died her mission would be declared a failure. The other one is not worth keeping. Hes been beaten up before, so as long as he doesnt act up, theres nothing left to do. He had the brains to know that he could not go after Xin Lan out of impetuosity, as Zhou Zhou was already an example. This time Chu Lu was caught chasing Xu Deng, and the two kept running. What Chu Lu was thinking was that if he couldnt get rid of Xin Lan, he might as well go after her teammate. Seeing that Xu Deng was about to be caught, Xin Lan ran beside her, intending to grab her and pull her over. If Xu Deng had been running towards her from the start, she would have caught him, but Chu Lu blocked the way, so Xu Deng had to run in the other direction, and Xin Lan had to go after him. Xin Lan thought that if she couldnt, she would let Chu-Lu catch her and then kill him. Xu Deng stopped so violently that Chu Lu thought she was going to give up her struggle. But then Xu Deng made a move that no one expected, she turned around, kicked Chu Liu hard in the lower part of his leg, and ran away after doing so. The boy was suddenly hit so hard that he fell to the ground in a bow, his body covered in sweat as he rolled on the ground in pain. I cant believe it, but youre quite capable. Xin Lan curled her lips and praised Xu Deng. You cannot control yourself in the world. Xu Deng pushed up her damaged glasses and accepted the praise in a very understated manner. Chu Lu had a hard time getting up, but he was so injured that he felt pain when he ran. Everyone was far away from him, and with ten minutes to go, he had to accept the reality of his defeat. Xin Lan, you will not survive! Chu Lu yelled out with a twisted expression before disappearing. Hes sick, isnt he? Im the one who kicked him, not you, who do you blame for not being able to catch up. Xu Deng failed to understand that this was supposed to be a cruel game. Xin Lan was completely oblivious to this. There were many people who cursed her to a miserable death, so who is Chu Lu. When she was a villain, the number of people who cursed her to a miserable death were counted in piles like that, although her final outcome was not good, but now she is the main character. There is no such thing. At best, its a wish that cant be fulfilled by cannon fodder. Just because Xin Lan doesnt care, doesnt mean others dont. Shen Shuiyan was furious when she was told that it was obviously the people on that side who started the trouble, and that they were not as good as others, but they even cursed her Little Tiger, a person as good as her Little Tiger, who would surely live a long life, and those people would just die a miserable death. Even though he was dead, Shen Shuiyan couldnt do anything about it, so she silently charged the debt to Zou Yun Feis head. Zou Yun Feis heart is feeling very sad now, as he has lost two of his three brothers in a game, and he seems to be suddenly isolated. His hatred towards Xin Lan deepened, but when he saw Shen Shuiyan looking at him from a distance, he was able to feel a little better. Luckily, he still had Shen Shuiyan standing by his side, she must be feeling sorry for him as she watched him. No matter what, he will persevere until the end, so that Xin Lan can see that he will be the only one laughing at the end of the day. Shen Shuiyan was indeed watching, planning how to torture him. At this point in the game, three people have already died. With six more rounds to go, there are only sixteen people left. The girl who was captured by Zhou Zhou in the first round and pushed out her teammate to be the scapegoat died in the fifth round, avenged by the boys younger brother. After nine rounds of play, the nightmarish chase came to a halt. The physical education teacher blew the whistle and told everyone to assemble. There were twenty-two people when they arrived, but now there were only twelve. In a matter of hours, ten lives had been lost in front of everyone. All right, students, class is over, we can go and have dinner. The teacher said with a smile and the students left in a hurry. Xu Deng originally felt that the atmosphere was very heavy and wanted to say something, but when she looked at Xin Lan, she looked as if nothing had happened, and when she looked at Shen Shuiyan, she also looked as if there was nothing going on, and the two of them were even discussing what they were going to eat later. How about scrambled eggs with tomatoes? No, the scrambled eggs with tomatoes that I had the other day were so sweet that I suspected the chef had mistaken sugar for salt. How about some soup with rice in a boiling pot? Sure. Xu Deng twitched, she had lost her appetite because of the crappy game she had just played. These two people made her humble, she should have been under the car, not in it, she lost. Do you want to eat? Lets all three of us get in line. Xin Lan asked with a tilt of her head. Eat. Xu Deng answered immediately, as though she was not the one who had just lost her appetite. Xin Lan walked in and there were very few people queuing at the window, sitting in a scattered manner, unlike the first day when there were so many people. Could it be that each class has been asked to take PE lessons? Shen Shuiyan looked at the number of people in the class and saw that there was something wrong with it, there couldnt be any other reason than that, and it couldnt be that their class was the only one who was given preferential treatment to participate in the game. Thats probably the case, so whatever. Its also a good thing that the rules have stepped in to speed up the progress of this game, making everyones conflicts more and more acute so that she will not need to settle many of them before she can get enough pieces of clues. In other words, Shen Shuiyans side would also have to speed up the progress. Xin Lan and Shen Shuiyian glanced at each other, and Shen Shuiyan instantly understood what she meant and nodded her head. Im meeting him tonight, at the teaching building. Xin Lan suddenly remembered something and prodded Zero Nine. Xin Lan: Is the man who was violent to the original owner and caused her death still alive? If he died due to some force majeure, that would be a missed opportunity. Zero Nine: Hes still alive. Xin Lan: Thats good. Xin Lan: Ill find him tonight. What if he dies? As night fell, the bell rang. The dark night was like a monster with its mouth wide open, trying to swallow people in one gulp. The sound of fast running sounds in the corridor, followed by the sound of doors closing. Xin Lan: Where is that person now? Zero Nine: The teaching building. However, it is not a good idea to take into consideration the fact that the person who is going to meet Zou Yun Fei is also going to meet him in the teaching building. She had planned to take her teammates to the boys dormitory first to deal with the matter, because she was not sure about Shen Shuiyan, if she was bullied then what to do. The author has something to say: I was so engrossed in reading the story that I suddenly put down my keyboard and didnt want to write qwq and then I picked it up again with tears in my eyes! By the way, thank you so much to all the lovely people who have shown their appreciation! T/N: moments hesitation. (bjbx): neither too fast nor too slow (idiom) good-naturedly Ͼ (hozhngyxi): to be calm and unruffled in the midst of chaos or at a busy time (idiom) You (n): you (informal, as opposed to courteous ) unless stated otherwise Do unto others as you have been done unto you ֮֮ (yqrnzhdo, hunzhqrnzhshn): to use an opponents own methods to obtain retribution (idiom, from Song dynasty neo-Confucianist Zhu Xi ); to get revenge by playing sb back at his own game / to give sb a taste of his own medicine with ease (yurnyuy): handling a butchers cleaver with ease (idiom); to do sth skillfully and easily dying struggle (chuszhngzh): deathbed struggle / final struggle (idiom) the death һ (nswhu): lit. you die, I live (idiom); irreconcilable adversaries / two parties cannot coexist impetuosity (yqyngsh): to let emotions affect ones decisions already an example. ǰ֮ (qinchzhjin): to learn a lesson from the mistakes of ones predecessor (idiom) You cannot control yourself in the world. ڽɼ (rnzijingh, shnbyuj): you cant always do as you like / one has to compromise in this world (idiom) CH 22 Chapter 22 Hunting Legally (Arc 1) The Escape 22 Xue Chen Xin hid himself in the school building. The dormitory building had long been unsafe, and who knows when those people would go crazy and try to kill each other if they failed to rob anything. Although the academic building was locked except for the third floor, the toilets were not, and he hid in the womens toilet, so he would not be discovered. He wanted to await the end and see what the situation would be. If there were less than five of them, that would be good, he could just surrender and join up with the team. Xue Chen Xin vaguely heard the sound of footsteps against the wall of the ladies room. Xin Lan: This guy was really a creep, he was hiding in the ladies room. The corners of Xin Lans mouth curled up in a sneer, who could do something like that would be a very good person. Even in a society governed by the rule of law, they might do something like that. Wait for me here, Im going to the toilet. Xin Lan looked in the direction of the ladies room and walked over there. Then Ill go and look for Zou Yun Fei first, Xu Deng, you wait for her here. Shen Shuiyan knew that there were ears on the wall, so she didnt speak very loudly. Xu Deng nodded, indicating that she knew. If anything happens, just yell, Ill come out immediately. Xin Lan instructed her two teammates before going in. CTa-da! CDah! The sound of Xin Lans footsteps was deliberate. Xue Chen Xin held his breath, unable to suppress the excitement in his heart. It must be a girl coming in, he heard her. When she came in, he would immediately throw her to the ground and grab the fragments of her clue. If youre good looking and have a good body you can ?????? hehehehehe ?????? The footsteps were getting closer. On the verge of arriving in front of him, Xue Chen Xin had already assumed his posture. But before he could make a move, a hand grabbed his sleeve and he was pulled down to the ground. There was a suppressed cry of pain in the back of his throat, and as he wobbled to his feet, his head was grabbed and slammed against the wall again. The impact made Xue Chen Xin lightheaded and dizzy, and he felt something hot dripping down from his head. What is your fucking problem? What are you trying to do? Go on. Xue Chen Xin was not willing to be provoked by a girl, so he shook his head off and struck out at Xin Lan in the faint light from the window. Xin Lan grabbed him by the shirt and hit him in the abdomen with a vicious kick. Xue Chen Xin fell to the ground with a dull thud as his body hit the ground. Xue Chen Xin fell to the floor on his back, making a dull thud as his body fell to the ground. Xu Deng was startled by the thud inside and ran in, turning on the light in the bathroom. She was stunned by what she saw and thought she might have disturbed Xin Lan when she hit someone. There was a boy lying on the floor, unknown whether he was dead or alive. Xin Lan looked at Xue Chen Xin and knew that he was pretending. He probably wanted to wait until she went over to get the clue pieces and then counterattack. That wasnt her ultimate goal. Xin Lan walked over and stepped on Xue Chen Xins chest. Xue Chen Xin almost couldnt catch his breath, but he was still playing hard to get. Come here. Xin Lan hooked her finger at Xu Deng who was standing in the doorway. Xu Deng nodded and hurried over, glancing at Xin Lan and then at the boy on the ground. What did you do to that boy who was chasing you this afternoon, remember? Xu Dang knew what was happening, and pointed at herself. Well, as heavy as possible. Xu Deng was given her orders. She had been a bit scared of this girl from the beginning, she felt unexplainably dangerous, and after a series of events, she decided to follow her lead and kick him. Xu Deng lifted her foot and stomped on it hard. Xue Chen Xin let out a scream that sounded like a slaughtered pig, covering his body and rolling around. I was going to cut you there, Xin Lan took a folding knife out of his hand and twirled it around, but then I would definitely have to see you down there, forget it, Im still afraid of dirtying my eyes. The cold blade reflected an icy light that sent a shiver down ones spine. Xu Deng moved a little to the side in silence. This man had done something wrong to make Xin Lan hate him so much. But it would be too cheap to let you die like this. Xin Lan muttered that if she stabbed the man in the heart and allowed him to die of excessive blood loss, it would be too easy a death compared to that of the original owner who had suffered so much pain. He must be tortured to death in fear and pain, so that he could repay the wrong he had done. Xin Lan took one look at Xue Chen Xins few clothes and had a good idea. She grabbed the collar of the unresponsive boy and slammed the back of his head into the ground. There were limited supplies, so this was the only way. The back of the head is a very fragile part of the human brain, one bad blow and he would die, so Xin Lan specially controlled her strength to knock him out without killing him. Lift up his shirt and shove the jumper or whatever as far up as you can. Xu Deng didnt know what she was going to do, yet she did as she was told. Xue Chen Xin was unconscious, unaware that his clothes had been lifted, exposing his stomach. Xin Lan was playing with the knife in her hand, thinking about where to strike first. She bent down and slid the tip of the knife over Xue Chenxins thighs. First, she would take away his legs so that he could not escape. Then she would disable his hands so that he would not be able to move at all, and then she would block his mouth so that he would be unable to scream. Xin Lan was satisfied with her plan and nodded. However, with the limited tools available, Xin Lan could not use the folding knife to cut off the mans legs, despite her strength, as she was not holding a saw. Xue Chen Xin was probably not wearing thick trousers for the sake of running away, which made it easier for Xin Lan to move. Xin Lan stabbed the knife through Xue Chen Xins thigh and pulled it out again. The blood stained the fabric red. Xue Chen Xins body shook for a moment, but he still did not wake up. Xin Lan pierced several holes in his legs and made several cuts on his calves. His trousers were already stained with blood, and under the intense pain, Xue Chen Xin came out of his stupor. Youre awake? Good. Xin Lan waved the knife towards Xu Deng, who took it as soon as possible. Xue Chen Xins eyes widened as he watched Xin Lan grab his arm and twist it fiercely. The pain was so intense that he almost lost his voice, and the sensation of pain from the waist down almost made him faint. Give me a break, I never should have tried to sneak up on you just now, take all the pieces I have, please. Xue Chen Xin didnt know how he had provoked this deranged person, but his face showed a pleading look and tears covered his face. If he could move his legs, he would have knelt down and begged for mercy, but it was too painful, and when he moved, it hurt. I will take the pieces of you, but not now. Xin Lan seized his other arm and unceremoniously dislodged it too. You either give me the pain and torture me like this ?????? Xin Lan didnt wait for him to finish before dislodging his jaw as well. Its so noisy. Dont you know what kind of person you are? Do you want to know why I hit you? Xin Lan stomped on Xue Chen Xins stomach and leaned down to look at him, her gorgeous face a bit shadowy, if not for the occasion, Xue Chen Xin would have found her low smile very provocative. Xin Lan saw him look confused for a moment and frowned, unchanged. If you want to be beaten, Ill beat you, do I need a reason? Xin Lan straightened up and let go of the leg she was stepping on, looking at Xue Chen Xins sudden change of face. Do I need to pick a day to beat you? She took the knife from Xu Dengs hand and slashed the bloodstained tip of the blade across his stomach. He tried to escape, but he had no way to move his arms, his legs were in pain, and even the slightest squirming movement made his face contort. It was over, it was really over. Xin Lan picked a good spot and stabbed it in. The blade tip was not pulled out quickly, but deliberately wiggled around in the wound a few times. Under the light, Xin Lans face was cold, and the corners of her lips were curved in a creepy way. Xin Lan deliberately avoided the areas where he could easily lose too much blood and die quickly, and stabbed Xue Chen Xin in the chest one stab at a time. Do you feel desperate? Xin Lan said with a smile, knowing that the original owner had also felt the same despair. Xue Chen Xin couldnt say anything, his eyes were staring at the ceiling. His body seemed to be getting colder and colder. With resentment in his heart, he stared deadly at Xin Lans direction. Xin Lan made a confused expression and moved closer to his direction. How can I forget about this? Its a good thing you reminded me. The tip of Xin Lans knife landed on Xue Chen Xins eyelid, where she felt the restless turning of the eyeball underneath. Xin Lan didnt hesitate, even though Xue Chen Xin had closed his eyes, she slashed them open and gouged out the eyeballs inside. The eyeball rolled to the ground and was crushed by her without mercy. Xu Deng was so frightened by the brutality that she could not speak and tried to minimize her presence. She decided not to say anything and just hugged her thighs in silence. Zero Nine was already resilient to this kind of gory scene, and it was quite a sight to see with a cuddle pillow. If only there were chips, but the system is prohibited from bringing food into the mission, or else eating chips and eating melon seeds in the hosts head would be 100% complaintable. Have a good time feeling good here, dying in the womens toilet is kind of an honor for you, right? Xin Lan patted Xue Chen Xins face with the tip of the knife, used his clothes to dry the blood on the knife, and folded it up and put it back into her pocket. Xue Chen Xins eyes were hollow and his abdomen was covered in stab wounds, including his legs, which were bleeding more and more, and his body was getting colder and colder. He would die here, no one would come to save him. He still couldnt understand why he had to be treated like this. Xin Lan put her hands in her pockets, took away the fragments of clues from his body and walked out. Xu Deng followed behind her, looking at her back, and inexplicably composed a BGM in her head. The author has something to say: Ahhhhhhhh my hairline has moved up! My hair loss is getting worse and worse! Help! T/N: lightheaded and dizzy ͷۻ (tuynynhu): to faint with blurred vision (idiom); dizzy and eyes dimmed BGM: To possess ones own background music. This Internet slang term describes a person who is so unique and impressive that when he or she comes up, you could hear music playing on the background. This slang term comes from the fact that important TV or movie characters tend to have their signature background music. CH 23 Chapter 23 Breaking Through The Cage : Hunting legally (Arc 1) The Escape 23 Shen Shuiyan was quick to meet up with Zou Yun Fei. When Zou Yun Fei saw her, his face lit up with joy, and then his expression dropped into quietness. Did you come alone? Yes, the girls are in the toilet, I said Id come to the classroom first, is there no one else here? Shen Shuiyan and the others were in the classroom of the first class, which was the farthest classroom from the toilets. No. Here is another one, keep it, you are alone now, you have to be safe. Shen Shuiyan gave Zou Yun Fei the other fragment drawing, which, of course, was also a fake. Yes, I will. Zou Yun Fei thought of his two lost brothers, his heart was saddened and his eyes were slightly red, but Shen Shuiyins actions and her caring expression made him feel a warmth in his heart, it was a good thing that Shen Shuiyan was still here, otherwise how would he have been able to hold on alone. Yan Yan ?????? Zou Yun Fei took a step forward and made an embracing gesture with his hands. Shen Shuiyan took a step back at this time, glanced warily at the door, and turned her head back when she heard Zou Yun Fei calling her. Whats wrong? Nothing. Zou Yun Fei said something and withdrew his arms, shaking his head. The two looked at each other and the air was quiet. The number of survivors seems to be dwindling. Yeah, but that means well be out of here soon, as soon as we can get them together. What if I cant grab it from her? It doesnt matter, well just think of another way. Zou Yun Feis expression was gentle, with some deep emotion, if they couldnt get out in the end, then it was good that they could die here together. If he could die with the girl he loved, Zou Yun Fei felt that even if he couldnt get out, it would be fine. Then Ill go out first, so that she doesnt get suspicious. Shen Shuiyan didnt want to stay with this person anymore after she finished messing around, just now he even wanted to hug her, which was funny. That face, which he thought was so affectionate, was a mockery when matched with his previous attitude towards Xin Lan. Okay, Ill let you be. As far as Zou Yun Fei was concerned, Shen Shuiyan was just putting up with the shame and humiliation of being subservient to Xin Lan, just so that she could get the pieces of clues for him. For your sake, this is nothing. Shen Shuiyan said in a hypocritical voice, laughing coldly in her heart. Zou Yun Fei was even more moved, and he wanted to hug Shen Shuiyan and kiss her fiercely. Yan Yan ?????? actually I towards you ?????? She might be coming over, well talk about it next time we see each other, we dont have much time left. Zou Yun Feis confession was stuck in his throat, so he had to swallow it. Shen Shuiyan walked out of the classroom and headed towards the toilets. She had been here with Zou Yun Fei for about seven or eight minutes and Xin Lan should have finished using the toilet by now. Just as she reached the door of the toilet, she heard Xin Lan speak. Have a good time in here, for you its an honour to die in the womens bathroom, isnt it? What was going on here? Before Shen Shuiyan could enter, she saw Xin Lan come out. Is there anyone else in there? Its just a small bug, it doesnt matter. Xin Lan didnt really care, there was no need to talk about this kind of thing, and there was no need for Shen Shuiyan to go in to see, in case she was scared. When Xin Lan said that, Shen Shuiyan didnt ask any more questions, since it was an irrelevant person anyway. Theres no one on this floor except Zou Yun Fei, where are we going now? Shen Shuiyan had monitored the other classrooms as she passed back and forth through the corridors. Go back to the dormitory, lets get the clues on those people. Xin Lan planned to sweep the girls dormitory first, and then go after the boys. This way, it would take less than two more days for the mission to be over. Neither Shen Shuiyan nor Xu Deng had any idea what Xin Lan had said, so all three of them walked towards the staircase and prepared to go downstairs. It took less than a minute to finish one flight of stairs, but the three of them had been walking for more than a minute and were still going down this flight. Xin Lan looked up and saw the corner of the staircase handrail in front of her, and it looked like a few more steps would bring her to it. She continues on, and the three of them walk for another minute before the turning children. Helplessly, Zero Nine spoke of the situation Xin Lan had encountered earlier, where space stretched out. Is this flight of stairs endless, or are we just walking in the same place? Shen Shuiyan thought she was in even motion, but no matter how she looked at it, she was relatively still. Every time there is a trigger for something, what have we done this time? There was no forbidden activity area, nor did they break public property in order to sleep in class, so why did this staircase suddenly appear strange? So, why did they come in? And this time there was no hint, the last punishment game had at least told them why. I dont know. Shen Shuiyan was also beyond this situation, which was unpredictable. Is it an extra flight of stairs? Xu Deng suddenly opened her mouth. Xin Lan: How about the extra stairs? Xu Deng: Like the extra staircase in the school story, and the Fox Staircase in the horror movie. Shen Shuiyan: The extra staircase in the school has triggering conditions, such as walking step by step at twelve oclock, and the fox staircase also has a silent count by closing the eyes of Kozo, and she made a wish, although the result is not good, and it does not match our current situation. Xin Lan: Are you sure you want to tell ghost stories about stairs on top of this strange staircase? There was a cool breeze that blew over the body, like a chill that made people shiver. When Xin Lan grabbed Shen Shuyans hand, it was cold and chilly again. She wrinkled her eyebrows to say something, but nothing was said and she took Shen Shuiyans hand and put it in her pocket. Shen Shuiyan was so happy that she did not even think about how weird the stairs were now, she was not afraid of anything with Little Tiger by her side. Xu Deng stood by the side, very lonely and helpless. No one was holding her hand, so she had to do it herself. She was holding her own hand, although it was her left hand holding her right. This was a bit of a sarcastic gesture, so Xu Deng silently put her hand in her pocket. What are we going to do now? Do we keep going? The rules surely cant be so boring as to just want to trap us in here, there has to be something that can be done. The game world is full of mini-games, but no matter what, the game has an end point or an exit, so if they just keep moving in circles, its not the same as the previous game setup. In the world after the Queen of Hearts, moving forward constantly is what keeps us still, we are constantly in opposition to the walls and the railings, they are also moving as we walk, so will they keep up with us when we run in? Shen Shuiyan suggested a hypothesis, and the three of them did as they were told, jogging down the stairs immediately. The staircase seemed endless, and just as Xin Lan and the others were about to stop, the space in front of them changed abruptly. The walls disappeared, the railings disappeared, and they were in darkness, and the staircase underneath them was no longer made of marble, but glowed with a faint light that made it hard to see what it looked like. It looked like a scene from an anime or a computer game, the stairs were floating, and whether they were looking up or down, it seemed like they were stretching endlessly, not being able to see the end. What the hell is this? Xu Deng was stunned as Xin Lan and Shen Shuiyan were still on the same stairs, she was behind them both. Stay still, or go up and down? Shen Shuiyan glanced at Xin Lan, the two of them still holding hands tightly. Look up, you can only go down. The staircase above was dissipating into the air, step by step, and it wasnt very far from where the three of them were. The three of them had to keep going down, and beyond the stairs was darkness, and as they stared down, they had the feeling of being dizzy and about to fall. The stairs behind them seemed to be disappearing faster and they had to speed up to keep the ones they were stepping on from disappearing. Xin Lan felt the wind blowing and subconsciously felt the danger, so she shouted and pushed Shen Shuiyans head down. A wind whistled over their heads, cutting off a few strands of hair that were flying. Be careful with the wind, youll get hurt. What kind of weird place is this? Even if Xu Deng was calm, she had to curse someone, What a shitty place, even if they had to keep running down, the stairs behind them kept disappearing and they didnt know what was underneath, but there was even an attack, afraid they wouldnt die fast enough, right? The wind would always interfere with the way forward but in order not to fall, they had to keep moving forward. Xu Deng had followed Xu Lans lead the moment she saw her move and leaned back to avoid the wind that would have cut her head off. A whirring sound came from a distance and Xin Lan thought it was bad enough to speed up and sprint forward. Xin Lan could actually run fast on her own, but she had to take care of Xu Deng behind her while pulling Shen Shuiyan with one hand. All of the sudden, a flight of stairs in front of her suddenly disappeared, and Shen Shuiyan was unable to react. Xin Lan grabbed her hand to keep her from falling down. Shen Shuiyan was nearly suspended in the air, her legs underneath being assaulted by the cold wind, and her other hand trying to reach the step, but she was so caught off guard that she could not reach it. Sister Lan, hurry up, we are almost there. Xu Deng glanced back and saw the stairs disappearing, and they would soon be behind them. You should step over first. The gap between the stairs and the staircase was not particularly large and it would be alright to step over. But you ?????? Dont you worry! Xu Lan clenched her teeth and stepped over that step, but how could she not, and grabbed Shen Shuiyans hand as well. At this time, behind Xin Lan, there were only ten steps left, and in less than a minute, they would all disappear. Xin Lan, let go! T/N: We are two chapters away from finishing the first arc, this has been a wild ride. Sister Lan is everything I want to be :). CH 24 The Escape 24 Life is not a movie, it doesnt need a lot of passionate and sorrowful songs. Shen Shuiyan had never been so clear-headed, and she had never thought she would be in this situation before. It was not wrong that she did not want to die, but time waited for no one, and if Xin Lan and she were stuck here, it would not be a good ending either. Dont even think about letting go, dont you trust me? Xin Lan whispered, leaning down, keeping her legs steady and her waist still, and grabbing Shen Shuiyans collar with her other hand. She seized it, then slowly moved back, her veins bulging in her forehead. Seeing this, Xu Deng let go of the arm she was holding to avoid inconveniencing Xin Lan. Xin Lans face flushed a little red, and after a violent effort, he pulled Shen Shuiyan straight up from underneath. Go quickly. There were only two stairs left behind, so it would be too late if they didnt go. Xu Deng took the lead and ran ahead, while Xin Lan and Shen Shuiyan followed behind. Shen Shuiyan didnt have time to tell the truth about how her heart was pounding, but her heart was beating violently. Little Tiger looked really handsome at that moment! Shen Shuiyan tried to restrain the smile on her lips, but she found that she could not restrain it at all. Little Tiger was so sweet to her that no matter what time she was around, she felt so safe. At the moment when she was about to fall, her heart was indeed hanging in the air, but when she was caught, her heart was at ease. Even when she asked Little Tiger to let go of her hand, she knew in her heart that she would not be given up by Little Tiger, but she thought that her Little Tiger would be able to pull her out. It didnt matter if she was given up, after all, she saw the panic in Xin Lans eyes the moment she pulled her out. Xin Lan was unaware of the mental activity of Shen Shuiyan at her side as she was busy running forward. As soon as she saw the light source ahead, she knew that the path must have an end. The three of them passed through the light source in turn, and because of inertia they ran a few steps inside and fell on a pile of soft dolls. The expressions on all three girls faces were a little dull because of the peculiarities of the room. To say that it is special is to say that there are just a lot of dolls. It could almost be described as breathtakingly many, no matter if it was on the shelves or the ceiling or in front of the floor, all of them were filled with dolls. Even if Im a girlish girl, Id be shocked to see this. Xu Deng caught her breath, the sheer number of dolls scared her, and they all gave her a bad feeling, giving her a bit of a shiver down her back. The dolls were big and small, and there were all kinds. There were expensive BJD imitations, Japanese-style rattan maidens that appeared in all sorts of horror stories, as well as small cloth dolls of monsters, dogs and cats. No matter what kind of dolls they were, the corners of their mouths were always turned up. As soon as the three of them entered the room, they were met with a room full of dead things smiling at them, including those accidentally crushed on the floor, all of which were looking at them with smiling eyes. With the visual effect so horrific, they stood up and barely managed to get the ones on the floor aside to make a place to stand. Welcome to my world of dolls. A clear girls voice rang out in the air, and Xin Lan scanned the room without determining where it was coming from. This is a rewarding game, if you find Anna, you will get 30 fragments that are linked together, thats a good reward, isnt it? The unknown little loli laughed, but it was an unpleasant sound. I dont think so, even if we dont play the game, we can still get a lot of pieces out. Xin Lan said indifferently, Why do you have to come here to play this game when you can just grab it? Dont you want to play my game? This time, Xin Lan and the others saw who was speaking clearly. To be precise, it wasnt a person. It was a BJD doll on the counter, wearing a black yarn hat, a black princess dress with a mouth that opened and closed. Its posture did not change, but its expression carried a faint sadness. Shen Shuiyan noticed that all those smiling dolls suddenly had a sad expression. This discovery gave her a chill at the bottom of her heart. After staring at the dolls eyes for a long time, it seemed that she could still feel their eyes turning. Xin Lan also noticed it without Shen Shuiyan having to say anything. If you dont play my game, then you will be turned into dolls. This time, it was a dog puppet on the floor that spoke, its sewn mouth was moving in a frightening manner. Xin Lan decided that it was probably the same person speaking, as the voice remained the same, and perhaps all the dolls in the room were just her carriers. Are you the one who brought us into this game? I mean the school play for four hundred people. Of course not, Im not that powerful yet, are you playing my doll game or not? Yes. If you dont, youre going to become a doll, of course we are. It was a forced game, both at the beginning and now. Im off, then. When the hourglass runs out, you must find Anna. Suddenly an hourglass appeared on the wall, slowly pouring sand downwards. Shen Shuiyan watched the hourglass and began to count out of her mouth. About four hours. Shen Shuiyan withdrew her gaze and concluded. Who is Anna? Is it a doll too? Xu Deng looked at the room full of dolls, the person didnt tell them who they were looking for, what Anna was, what she looked like, just a name, how could they find her in this room? Anna is a terrible child. Thats right, everyone hates her. She s run away, she s gone somewhere, you have to get her back! Get it back! All the voices in the room startled Xin Lan, and she had a headache looking at the talking dolls. Xu Deng was so frightened that he took a step to Xin Lans side and stayed close to her. Are these dolls alive? Shen Shuiyan had sensed that something was wrong with them, so she had prepared herself a little before they started talking, but ?????? Shen Shuiyan walked between Xu Deng and Xin Lan, and Xu Deng hurriedly moved out of the way. Where did it go? Xin Lan asked. I dont know, I didnt see it. I saw it talking to the bunny the other night. Not me, not me, I didnt talk to it. The white bunny doll shook its head. I thought it was joking when it told me it was leaving the house, but I dont know where it went! The black rabbit fumbled. Theres no exit here, how did it get out? Shen Shuiyan asked, looking around at the room full of dolls, which looked closed. Yes, there is. The door is here. Three dots of light floated in mid-air, flickering like fireflies. This is the door? Yes. Can all of you get out through here? Of course. Then why dont you go out? There are terrible things in there, and the only way to get out is through there. Arent you curious? There are scary monsters that will eat us. The white rabbit shuddered. So why did Anna go out there and find it? Anna is a bad child who ran away, and bad children should be caught and punished! The bear was indignant. What did Anna do wrong? She hurt Jing Jings eye and hid one of Corals legs! Xin Lan looked at the shelf and there was a doll with one leg, probably Coral, on the shelf. What does Anna look like? All the dolls were excited by this comment and were talking to each other. Anna always said no but loved to cry, Anna was so pretty but loved to be jealous, Anna had round eyes and I really wanted to gouge them out, Anna couldnt talk anymore and I was so happy, Anna clamoured to leave and one day she disappeared, where did she go, where did she go, bad girl Anna ran away! They all started to sing, with the same smiles on their faces that Xin Lan had seen at first. Xin Lan sulked and listened as the dolls finished their song. Go and find it, you guys. The little hamster urged. Is there a monster at every door? Yes. Which door do we go to? Shen Shuiyan looked at Xin Lan. Im always out of luck, so you choose. Left, then. The three of them held hands and Xin Lan touched the dot of light on the left. Before she left, she heard the dolls singing a strange song about Anna. The next moment they appeared in an empty space, surrounded by darkness, with only a little light from the moon to allow them to see clearly. What the hell kind of game is this? I thought Id had enough of this at school, but I didnt think it would be another game of running around and suddenly something else. Xu Dengs head was spinning, tonights surprises were really one after another. Its already happened, lets discuss what to do first. Shen Shuiyan gazed at the moon in the sky, which had a slightly red tinge to it, making it very eerie. Xin Lan: The goal is to find Anna, and its not always possible to find her here, a probability of one third. Shen Shuiyan: Anna should be a doll in human form. Xu Dang: Its dangerous here, there are scary monsters. Shen Shuiyan: The dolls have a lot of malice towards Anna, you can hear it in that song. Xu Deng: Because Anna did something wrong? I only remember the first line of the song. Anna is always saying that she cant but she likes to cry, Anna is good looking but she likes to be jealous, Anna has round eyes and really wants to gouge them out, Anna cant talk anymore and is so happy, Anna is fighting to leave and one day shes gone, where did she go, where did she go, bad girl Anna has escaped. Shen Shuiyan read the words without emotion, causing goosebumps to rise and a chill to run through Xu Dengs heart. Wait a minute, theres a contradiction in the lyrics Why is Anna fighting to leave when she cant speak? Maybe the situation is exaggerated? Maybe its exaggerated, but generally speaking, the hints given by NPCs dont make such self-contradictory mistakes. Should Anna be a girl because she is good looking? But that doesnt hold up either. It is possible that Anna is not human, but mostly, because it is a child, in any case, human or non-human. Shen Shuiyan frowned, there were only so many clues she could get hold of, and the place looked so big, how could she find Anna, she only had four hours to find her. Anna likes to cry, likes to say no, is good looking, likes to be jealous, has round eyes, doesnt talk, maybe has a bit of a grumpy personality, and hides one of the legs of a doll. Xin Lan summed up and got some personality traits, the outer appearance only got a single round eye. How many things did Anna do to annoy them, to try to gouge its eyes out and be happy knowing its mute. Xu Deng wailed, unable to resist reciting a song she had only heard twice. Anna always says no but loves to cry, Anna looks good but loves to be jealous, Anna has round eyes and really wants to gouge them out, Anna cant talk anymore and is so happy, Anna is clamoring to leave and one day its gone, where did it go ?????? The three of them walked forward, perhaps to the end of the day. They walked on, and after about a minute or two, there was a wooden door with a red lantern hanging above it and a plaque on top of it. Ji something village? Xin Lan could barely identify it, but could not see it clearly. Zero Nine: Jirui Village. Jirui Village. Xin Lan accepted the good advice. This is the only place thats still Jiri Village? Xu Deng twitched as she looked in at the darkness and thought about what the dolls had said about the scary monsters in here. How are we going to find it without lights? Shen Shuiyan was a little worried. There was only a little moonlight, but it was too limited to see what was going on inside, and who knew what the dangers were if they went in so carelessly, but their time was limited and they could not dawdle in here forever. Go in first, if that doesnt work, well go out again, we cant delay, time is limited. Xin Lan looked back, the dot of light was still flashing there, the door was still there, if they couldnt find it here, they should just hurry up and exit. Xin Lan had Zero Nine and Zero Nine had scanning night vision. Basically, Zero Nine can direct the way as long as there is no spatial extension here. Zero Nine: End of scanning, a small village, no life forms, you can go straight, its a straight road, on both sides are houses, I will remind you when there is a turn off. Xin Lan took Shen Shuiyans hand and walked forward, ready to let Xu Deng come to the other side of her, when she found that Shen Shuiyan had already taken Xu Deng and walked forward together. It was too dark and Xin Lan did not see that Shen Shuiyan was only pulling Xu Dangs sleeve. After following Zero Nines directions, Xin Lan walked for a few minutes and came to a junction without finding anything. Zero Nine: There seems to be no difference between left and right, which way do you want to go? Xin Lan chose left and turned towards the left. Shen Shuiyan and Xu Deng had no idea how Xin Lan found his way in the darkness, but it didnt matter, to Shen Shuiyan the Little Tiger was great, and to Xu Deng this big guy had been tortured, not to mention finding her way. The road was surprisingly quiet, it was like a dead village. Suddenly, Zero Nine shouted in Xin Lans mind. Zero Nine: Host, run! There is something big coming towards you, it looks like a human, but it is very tall, even if it is a human, it is dead! Xin Lan didnt even think about it, she just walked back. She was not afraid, but it depends on the situation. Xin Lan: Are there any small humanoid objects scanned inside? Zero Nine: No. Xin Lan walked even faster. The two teammates were led forward by her. Xu Deng had shorter legs than Xin Lan and Shen Shuiyan, so she had to jog to keep up. Zero Nine: Watch out! Xin Lan also sensed the danger and pushed Shen Shuiyan to the side, but in just a second, something slashed at the spot where Shen Shuiyan had just stood, leaving a sound of heavy blows. Xin Lan tilted her head to see the attacker by the moonlight. It was a giant of almost two metres, holding a large wooden stick, with a fierce green face and red eyes. Run! This was not the place to stay, the mission world power was limited and Xin Lan did not want to fight the monster. Xin Lan was the main force of the run, dragging one of them with one hand, and ran to the entrance of the village with a sprint. The giant chased after them with a wooden stick, but when he saw Xin Lan and the others at the door, he stopped and started to walk back. Xu Deng and Shen Shuiyan were both gasping for breath, and Xin Lan wiped the sweat from her forehead and let them walk back. Not in there anymore? I dont think so. Thats right, its so dark in here, if I were Anna, I wouldnt like it either. Shen Shuiyan nodded her head. It was a dark world without any light, and Anna, who loved to cry, was probably very timid. They went out through the door and returned to a world of dolls. The dolls were motionless, very quiet, with smiles on their faces, as if they were really inanimate, whereas not long ago, they were talking. Shen Shuiyan looked at the hourglass; they had just entered without too much of a delay. Theres still about three hours and forty minutes left. The one in the middle or the one on the left? Xin Lan tilted her head to look at Shen Shuiyan. In the middle. Shen Shuiyan did not hesitate. The three of them entered the second door, which was the opposite of the first one, almost blinded by the stage light. It was like a live recording of a show, with people singing and dancing on stage and lights flashing in tandem. The man was singing rock and roll, and Xin Lan was standing so close that she was almost knocked off her feet by the sound waves. Xin Lan wanted to talk to Shen Shuiyan, but she thought that she could only speak in a loud voice and the other party might not be able to hear her. She could not see the expression on Shen Shuiyans face even though the lights were flashing and they could blind her. There were many people here, not only on stage, but also the photographer and the lighting crew. Zero Nine: Scan complete, no life forms. There was clearly one person on stage and several people walking around, not to mention the audience behind them. There are no life-forms, which means they are all dead people. Xin Lan frowned slightly. If the doll was a living person, then it would be easy to find, but the doll was also a dead object with no physical identity, so Zero Nine could not scan it. Xin Lan: Did you find a smaller object? Zero Nine: Not in this space, at least. It would have been easier to know who you were playing against, but now it was a bit confusing not knowing where anyone was. On stage was a female rocker with wavy curls and a sexy barley skin tone, full of wild beauty. The whole room was focused on her and Xin Lan intuitively thought that she would have something to offer. Xin Lan recalled the rhyme more carefully. Anna always says no but loves to cry, Anna is pretty but loves to be jealous, Anna has round eyes and really wants to gouge them out, Anna cant talk anymore and is so glad, Anna is fighting to leave and then one day shes gone, where did she go, where did she go, bad girl Anna has run away. If Anna cant speak anymore, then it cant be identified by a mantra like no. The rhyme was so full of malice that Xin Lan was a little suspicious. But suspicions aside, she still remembered what the key to the game was. The female rocker on stage finished her song and put down her guitar, while the backing band stopped. The stage was filled with screams and applause, causing Xin Lans ears to ring again. Sister Lan, what are we going to do now? Xu Deng was confused as to whether they should leave the room or not, but the light was still flickering and there was no sign of an exit to get out. Before Xin Lan could open her mouth, she felt a flash of light and the three of them were enveloped in a circle of light as the audience on stage let out another cheer. Lets wait and see what happens. Oh look, our three lucky audience members, congratulations on getting a chance to sing, come on stage. The female rocker waved at Xin Lan and the others, giving them a big smile. Xu Deng looked at the two next to her, to go up or not to go up. What, youre not my fans? The female rocker straightened up, her smile fading and her eyes narrowing. A strange and eerie feeling suddenly enveloped them, as their bodies began to chill involuntarily under the spotlight, as if a powerful air-conditioner was blowing on them. Perhaps, Xin Lan thought, this person was the monster at the door. She gave a wink and the three men went up to him. Now, Im going to sing you a song calledwe will rock you, so dont forget to scream if you like it. The crowd on stage shook and shouted desperately. Anna! Anna! Anna! The three of them were shocked This persons name was Anna? But isnt Anna unable to speak, yet this one can sing and is most likely the monster inside the door, not the Anna they are looking for, but perhaps there is some kind of connection there. were causing utter devastation when we steppinto the piace?????? As the singer sang, she suddenly struck the light between them on Shen Shuiyans body. and here we go again hit with the flow again kict it up the second time around?????? The singer whistled and the lights struck back on her. Quite a quick response, and you sing quite well. Xin Lan complimented, and Shen Shuiyan couldnt help the corners of her mouth from turning up. Its good that its a classic Ive heard before. When the singer reached the climax of the song, the audience was bursting into flames. The crowd was bursting at the seams. It was shocking to watch, but when Xin Lan thought that these were all dead people, there was nothing to be shocked about. The light suddenly struck Xu Deng, illuminating the broken glasses and the tearful face of their owner. I cant sing. Whats the point of singing in this game when running away and being scared isnt enough! Xu Deng, get out of the way! Xin Lan sensed something and shouted loudly, Xu Deng immediately moved away from where she was standing without thinking. The chandelier hit the ground with a thud, scattering the glass in all directions. Xu Deng was so scared that if the lamp had hit her head, her head would have been blown off. But apart from Xin Lan and the three of them, the others acted as if they hadnt seen the accident, and those who were banging drums continued to bang and those who were singing continued to sing. Xu Deng stood in a different position, looking up at the ceiling from time to time, afraid that something would fall down again. If Id known Id die if I couldnt sing one day, Id have memorised the lyrics. Xu Dang said, looking sad. Xin Lan couldnt sing this song either, it didnt exist in her intergalactic days, and her memories of each world had been faded a bit, so she could only find the tune of the song in her original memories, but she couldnt remember the words either. But that wasnt a problem, she still had the system. Zero Nine had already made up the song and the lyrics were projected in front of her eyes. As the light hit her, she sang it without panic. What seems to be a calm situation is actually a crisis, as evidenced by what happened to Xu Deng. After the chandelier hit her head, the non-singing student was also hit by a high-pressure water cannon that sprayed blood on half of her body when she was a little too late. Following the water gun incident and the sudden appearance of the knife in the ground, Xin Lan was quick enough to pick her up like a chicken and prevent her from being stabbed through the head with the knife. Xu Deng was already pale and her eyes were dull. After all this, the song was finally over. The audience walked out through the suddenly appearing door and Anna wiped the sweat from her face and put down the instrument she was holding. Wait a minute, are you Anna? Shen Shuiyan took a step forward and blocked the female rockers path. You guys actually dont know my name, you really dont seem to be my fans. The female rocker had an unhappy look on her face, and she looked a bit fierce. Xin Lan noticed that her eyes were indeed round. So, have you ever met a doll called Anna? I am Anna, not some doll. Anna said emphatically. Anna always says yes and loves to laugh, Anna is ugly and doesnt like to be jealous, Anna has small eyes and really doesnt want to gouge them out, its sad that Anna is talking again, Anna didnt want to leave so one day she came back ?????? Shen Shuiyan sang this song and saw the different colour on Annas face. No, its not like that. Anna interrupted Shen Shuiyans singing with a somber expression. Anna always says no, but she likes to cry, Anna is pretty but she likes to be jealous, Anna has round eyes that I really want to gouge out, Anna cant talk anymore and Im so happy, Anna is fighting to leave and one day has vanished, where did she go, where did she go, she is inside my heart. Her voice was not as loud and clear as when she had just sung rock, but rather thin and shrill, like a sudden singing in an empty street, with a human sweetness, especially when she sang the last line, her eyes slightly closed, very enchanted. Its in my heart. It seems like a mournful sigh. We need to find it. If its in me, its mine, Im Anna, and Anna is me. Anna smiled cheekily, and for a moment, through the light, Xin Lan saw another face on hers. A pained, struggling, helpless one that was looking in her direction for help. It was a beautiful face with round eyes and tears on them. So lets take her away and finish the game, shall we? Xin Lan pointed at her and asked Shen Shuiyan. Shen Shuiyan thought about it, and thought that it was not impossible. She nodded to Xin Lan, Ill leave it to you. It was time for Xin Lans show. Xu Deng and Shen Shuiyan stepped back so as not to be caught in the crossfire. Xin Lan took off her coat and threw it into Shen Shuiyans arms. She ruffled her long hair and smoothed out her ponytail. Since youre Anna, we can take you away now. Anna tried to walk past her with a shrug. Xin Lan took her arm and Anna stopped and looked at her. After five seconds, Xin Lan bent down, dodging the flying knives and tripping Anna to the ground with a sweeping kick, she grabbed her collar and suddenly the instruments were floating in mid-air, smashing in her direction. Without mercy, Xin Lan held Anna in her hands as a shield, tilting her neck back to avoid the attack, her hands instead clamped on Annas arms. A small sound fell on her ears and as she dealt with the floating object, Xin Lan realised that Anna had left her grip and her arm was in her hand, while the disengaged Anna had become one-armed. There was no blood on the arm, which made Xin Lan think of a detachable doll. Shen Shuiyan tossed her jacket towards Xu Lan and rushed forward to grab Annas other arm the moment she was free of Xin Lan. Annas strength was so great that Shen Shuiyan was dragged a few steps, but still did not let go. Xin Lan threw the arm away and tried to attack the back of Annas head, but Anna suddenly turned his head. Not just a twist of the head, but a hundred and eighty degree turn of the head, directly away from her body. Anna grinned at her and spoke just as Xin Lans fist was about to land. Do you know what bullying is? Xin Lans fist stopped just short of her nose, a few millimetres away. When two people bully one, its called bullying. Anna looked at Xin Lan as the severed arm flew back to her and was pieced back together, only it was backwards, one arm forward and one arm back, which looked strange. A hundred people bullying one person is called bullying. And do you know what a thousand or ten thousand people bullying one person is called? Anna giggled, a deep light in her eyes. Xin Lan saw that struggling face again, with tears in its eyes, full of helplessness. Its called justice. Annas smile grew wider, her laughter louder, yet with a touch of mockery. Ask it, will it go back? Little Anna, would you like to go back and be bullied again? Anna whispered, but her eyes were silently weeping. You see, it doesnt want to. Anna wiped the teardrop from her cheek and gazed at the drop, letting it disappear in her fingers. Xin Lan, however, suddenly laughed a little and looked at Anna with disdain in her eyes. Let me add one thing you didnt say earlier, one person bullying one person is also called bullying. Annas expression became slightly distorted, as if she had heard some kind of joke from the sky, or as if she had been stepped on. Thats called love. Instead of it being bullied by so many people, let me love it, shes the one who broke through the door. By love, do you mean taking its body? The face Xin Lan saw was identical to Annas, or rather it was Annas face, with round eyes and some hybrid-like features, full of wildly sculpted beauty. Xin Lan knows that maybe the truth is not what the dolls say it is, but it doesnt matter what it is to the dolls. The owner of the dollhouse had given them the task of finding Anna and bringing her back so that they could return to the school from this place. What do you know, you dont know anything! The look on Annas face began to twist and turn, giving her an eerie sense of horror. It was as if the radiant person singing on the stage before was not her, just a phantom, but the real her now, ugly and pathetic. Shen Shuiyans eyes really hurt when she looked at it. The body of Anna, who was holding on to her, was facing her, but her head was on Xin Lans side and one arm was on the other side, which made it extra creepy, though it looked better after a long time, like some kind of abstract painting. Xin Lan didnt say anything else, what do you know and what dont you know? Its not a romantic drama, its an escape game. There was no choice but to grab her head by the hair, as she had no other joints to work with, but her head was the best. As soon as Xin Lan grabbed and prepared to drag her, Shen Shuiyan let go of her hand so as not to impede the action. But Xin Lan didnt expect to be left with a head in her hand as she dragged the person towards the door and the point of light. It felt like real hair in her hand, and the skulls eyes were twinkling. Not far away was the headless woman, but even without her head, her torso was still moving her body around freely, wrenching her other hand back. She said that Anna was in her heart. Xin Lan did not feel that she was merely making a love statement and that she was more interested in using Anna than she was in any kind of love at all, and she did not refute what she had just said, so there was a high probability that Anna was really in her heart and soul. Xin Lan shoved the skull onto the person next to her and hurriedly went after the torso who wanted to leave. Xu Deng stared at the skull in her arms in confusion, and it smiled at her so coldly that it almost made her laugh out loud. It was a little too much excitement for her heart to handle. The torso passed through a small door and ran ahead. Obviously without her head, the torso stumbled a little, but she ran fast. Xin Lan chased her into a corridor with marble tiles underneath and black doors on either side. Torso was running ahead, with Xin Lan in hot pursuit. It was a good thing she had taken her coat off early in the morning, otherwise it would have been difficult to move. Xin Lan sprinted and accelerated, catching the torso in front of her. But as soon as she did, the torso exploded into the air like some kind of explosive. It burst into the air like some kind of explosive, leaving a cloud of smoke in its wake. Xin Lans face changed. She looked back and saw that the door she had entered through was gone. She called out to Zero Nine in her mind, who was rapidly analysing the data. On Shen Shuiyans side, when she saw the torso reappear in front of them and Xin Lan was nowhere to be found, she knew they had been trapped. The moment the torso appeared, the skull in Xu Dengs hand made a strange movement and kept moving in the direction of the torso, as if it was going to fly back. Xu Deng was pulling the skull outward with great effort, as if he felt some kind of great suction, and moved her body forward little by little. Xu Dengs hand could not bear to let go of the hair, and there were many strands of hair in her hand, and when she looked at it, she saw that a piece of the skull had been torn off. Shen Shuiyans arm was covering the skulls eyes, and the skulls mouth was moving and cursing at Xu Deng, who had torn off her hair. If she hadnt tried so very hard to move, she wouldnt have pulled a piece of her hair out of her head. If you move that way again, Ill cut your hair off, it must be hard to grow it back, how ugly would it be if you were bald? Shen Shuiyan grabbed Annas hair, and Anna struggled less, but her head pounced on it. In her desperation, Shen Shuiyan let Xu Deng go and picked up a razor blade that Anna had used to attack Xu Deng and Xin Lan, and drew it across her face. If you come any closer Ill cut your face off! Even the monster Anna feared the threat, and her torso stiffened in the distance, facing Anais head in a distant position. Where did you get her. Guess. Shen Shuiyans face was cold, the tip of her knife pressed against Annas lips. You guess if I try to do so? The words were a joke, but the tone was icy. If you dont get her back, we wont go out either. Ill cut your tongue first and then your face. How can a big singer sing without her tongue and how can a big star appear on stage without her face? Are you alright, Miss Anna? Xu Deng shuddered. The person next to the big shot was indeed a ruthless woman. CH 25 The Escape 25 Xin Lan seemed to have fallen into a dead end, or so it seemed, because on the surface it looked like it. A straight corridor to the bottom, with black doors on either side. The space was so cramped and narrow that it felt like you were smothered in something and couldnt breathe. In the first moments of her predicament, she didnt move, just waited for the system in her head to answer, even though she thought it might be useless. Zero Nine bowed her head in shame in the system space, her powers were too limited in this world, like a compass going haywire in the event of a paranormal event, and she hadnt scanned anything outside of space this time. Xin Lan didnt react too well to this, as was to be expected. She didnt open the doors in a hurry, but looked at the wall thoughtfully. Zero Nine: Host, what are you thinking about? Xin Lans face cleared of its gloom, and she touched the wall with regret. If I had all my abilities, then I would have chosen to break the wall and walk out. But the quest world doesnt allow her to do something like break a wall with one punch, unless shes in a world of some kind of power. Its a shame. Zero Nine didnt say a word. This was really too simple, too crude and too real. Xin Lan said she wouldnt think about it, but she kicked the wall anyway, with her foot of course, not her hand. But the moment she kicked it, she felt a sense of dj vu, like the feeling she had felt in the punishment game when she stepped on the human skinned ghost. It didnt seem hard to the touch, but after a few kicks, it was like stepping on the skin of a doll, slightly indented, but not overly soft. It was impossible to break it, so Xin Lan took the folding knife out of her pocket. On the other side, Shen Shuiyan was confronting Anna. She was holding the blade in her hand, threatening Annas head, and not far away, in a straight line, was Annas body, with Xu Deng standing beside her, her eyes moving back and forth between them warily. Annas mouth was closed as she was threatened by Shen Shuiyans slashing of her tongue and face. Get her out of there. Shen Shuiyan pressed the blade in her hand closer to Annas lips, and Anna moved her lips. The next moment, her body lunged forward and Xu Deng saw it and knocked her away, and they both fell to the ground. Xu Deng was feeling a bit dizzy at the sight of the headless body, and it was a bit of a thrill to see it up close. She tried to get up, but the body moved even faster and tried to attack Shen Shuiyan again. Seeing this, Xu Deng tugged on the torsos foot and was driven a few steps, dragging it along the ground for a few metres. She took the pain and picked up a razor blade and stabbed the torso hard. Annas torso paused for a moment at this action, but Xu Deng recoiled and pinned the torso underneath her, her arms and legs entangled, not allowing it to move. Anna glared in anger as her head was held and her body was pinned down. The steel bar of the seat on the audience stage was pulled up and flew towards Shen Shuiyan, slamming into the hand that held the knife. Shen Shuiyan rushed to block it, while the other hand still had a firm grip on Annas hair. The tip of the knife was open on both sides, and as Shen Shuiyan blocked without letting go of the blade, the blade cut her hand and red blood dripped down her palm. Shen Shuiyan frowned, but still didnt let go, roughly stabbing the tip of the knife into Annas mouth. If you dont let her out, Ill really cut it so that you can be something like the real Anna, a thing that doesnt speak. Shen Shuiyan couldnt care about anything else, the Little Tiger was very powerful yes, but the Little Tiger didnt know where she was now and she was in a panic. Anna spat out a string of slurred words that Shen Shuiyan barely understood and took the blade out of her mouth and pressed it against her face. Shen Shuiyan waited for Anna to move, only to see Annas expression suddenly twist and let out a cry of dismay. She looked at Xu Deng and Xu Dang looked at her. Both of them looked at each other with a slightly confused expression. The head in her arms started to struggle again. Shen Shuiyan dropped the blade and had to use all her strength to ensure that the head of the suddenly insane Anai would not fly out. The body pressed underneath Xu Deng was also moving, almost toppling Xu Deng over. Annas screams echoed in her ears in an eerie way. Xin Lan found something interesting inside the wall, and instead of scratching the wall, she looked at the doors. If she was right, this was in fact Annas body, and each door might represent an organ. Xin Lan was looking for the heart, and after entering the liver and stomach one after another, she finally found it. The room was full of intertwined blood vessels and in the middle was a beating heart. In the middle of the heart was a doll with round eyes and a pretty face, the very Anna she was looking for. Xin Lan opened the folding knife and sliced through the blood vessels that were blocking her. A sudden jolt and Xin Lan steadied herself and continued to slice at the veins in front of her. Anna felt the pain and let out a scream, but something else made her panic even more, she wanted to melt back together so that she could have all her strength, but the two kept stopping her. Come on, get out of her body! Xin Lan felt the place where she was shaking even more, and a great suction was coming from the doorway, trying to suck her out of it. Xin Lan tugged at the veins that held her body in place, and almost ten centimetres away was a beating heart. The freshly severed blood vessel was scattered to the side, but there was no blood, as if it had been damaged, and Xin Lans other hand was still cutting the blood vessel around Annas heart, trying to resist the suction from outside the door. The woman on the outside might not know that there is an old saying that it is easy to invite the devil but difficult to send him away. After about one minute, Xin Lan took the doll in her hand and at the same time, she was ejected from the room without control. The moment she was ejected, she wondered what happened to Shen Shuiyan. Outside, Shen Shuiyan was a little shocked to see the change in the skull in her hand, but quickly realised that the change could not have happened for no reason, it must have been done by the Little Tiger who didnt know where this thing had gone. The head in her hand gradually receded from its original beauty, and her skin took on a dark greenish hue, her eyes were thin and long, her lips dark, and she looked a little like some kind of mutated animal. Her features changed all at once, and Shen Shuiyan felt that there was no way to threaten her if she kept her hands on her. The skull let out a miserable cry, and a long, thin tongue stretched out from its dark lips, licking towards Shen Shuiyan. Xu Deng, get up! Xu Deng climbed up with a start, no longer pressed against the deformed body. The female body, which had been wheaten skinned, had turned black and blue like the head, and had grown some kind of limbs, making it look ugly and strange. This is what the dolls call a terrible monster. When Xin Lan was ejected from the room, she was still a little dizzy, and when Shen Shuiyan saw her suddenly appear, she rushed to hold her. The round eyes were open, and the mouth was open, unable to make a sound. It looked so grey and decrepit, and although it was a dead thing, it should not have looked so lifeless. The monsters head and body had come together the first time it detached itself from Shen Shuiyan and Xu Deng. She was about 58 and Xin Lan was only 56, standing at a discreet distance, watching her warily. Give it to me. The monsters voice hadnt changed much, it was the same female rockers voice, just a little more muffled and hoarse. You two get out first. There was no time for the two of them to get together. Shen Shuiyan hesitated for a moment, and the moment she locked eyes with Xin Lan, she clenched her fists, and before she went out from the light point, she also salvaged Xin Lans clothes from the seat, and the moment she disappeared, Xu Deng followed closely behind her. The monster didnt care about them, his long, slender eyes were fixed on Xin Lan, or rather on the Anna in Xin Lans hand. As Xin Lan tried to move towards the spot of light, the place shook violently. Give it to me! As the monster approached, Xin Lan took the doll and shook it at her, an act that was tantamount to provocation, and the monster lunged. The monster lunged at her, bending down to avoid it, and when the monsters claws reached out, she used the doll as a shield and placed it in front of her. The Annai in front of her looked like she was in shock, dumbfounded and in tears. Xin Lan felt the wetness of her fingers and thought it was quite amazing, but the doll could talk, so it was not unusual to see tears coming from somewhere. Youre scaring it! The monster stopped and looked at Anna with greedy, thirsty eyes, and spoke reproachfully to Xin Lan. Xin Lan looked amused at the monsters attitude and wiped away the dolls tears. Anna, why dont you stay with me? Ill stay with you, well sing and dance together and become big stars, how wonderful would that be? Youre so good looking and I sing well too. The monster was no longer manic, but rather curt in her approach to Anna in Xin Lans hand. She did not know that it was not Anna herself who would stay or go, but Xin Lan. Anna was bullied all the time and all she did was cry, Anna was pretty so they were jealous, Annas voice was ruined because everyone made it happen, everyone said that Anna was a bad kid and needed to be punished, Anna wanted to run away and one day she made it, where did she go, where did she go, shes in my heart. The monster sang the song and looked at little Anna with pitying eyes. You are one of the bullies, arent you? You have taken away its liberty and stolen its appearance. Xin Lan had no intention of reasoning, but only used this to distract the monster. For Anna, it was hell on both sides, and it was a doll that was living as a human. The monster did not listen to what Xin Lan said, she had picked up a random object in her hand as she kept backing away. I think youre right, its better to stay with you rather than let Anna be bullied over there, so here you go. Xin Lan said and threw something in her hand towards the other side. The monster lunged at it and found that it was only a lamp and reacted quickly, but Xin Lan was faster and had already touched the spot of light and left in the first place. Although Xin Lan was a fighter, she could also distinguish between situations, and this was obviously not the right time for a fight. After Xin Lan came out, the dolls that were already lifeless suddenly seemed to come to life. The bad kid is back! I cant believe the monster didnt eat them! Punish it, punish it! Gouge out its eyes! The dolls voices were full of innocence, but the meanings they expressed were so obviously malicious. Anna was bullied all the time and all she did was cry, Anna was pretty so they were jealous, Annas voice was ruined because everyone made it happen, everyone said that Anna was a bad kid and needed to be punished, Anna wanted to run away and one day she made it, where did she go, where did she go, shes in my heart. The dolls spoke in unison, their identical smiles eerie, their pure, clean voices full of malice. Anna cried again, tears falling onto Xin Lans hand. Shen Shuiyan saw the tears and thought that if Anna had been able to speak, she would have had a lot to say. Its time for you to come out, weve found Anna. Xin Lan said to the air, looking at the hourglass, which had not yet finished leaking. Anna was lifted up by an unknown force and Xin Lan let go of her hand, watching Anna float in mid-air. Anna was silent, but her tears were no longer flowing. I cant believe I didnt know that my little Anna was so badly bullied. When that voice rang out in the air, all the dolls felt like they were being choked, unable to make a sound. The tears on Annas face were wiped away by unseen hands, and all the dolls trembled in fear. Twenty clue fragments for you, congratulations on completing the game. As the voice faded, Xin Lan and the others reappeared on the stairs. Finally, back. Xu Lan looked down the corridor of the school and felt a sudden sense of kinship. Shen Shuiyan was also relieved to find the campus even more pleasing after the series of events. Xin Lan felt her pocket and found a small bag, which she took out and found that it contained many pieces. Are we going to be able to get out of here soon? Xu Deng had a longing light in his eyes. Soon, tomorrow, the day after tomorrow at the latest. Xin Lan put the pouch back in her pocket and said so. Lets go back to the dormitory. Xin Lan subconsciously went to take Shen Shuiyans hand after saying that, but he found that Shen Shuiyans hand had shrunk a little and the feeling in his palm was not right either. Whats wrong with your hand? Xin Lan frowned, let go of his hand and took Shen Shuiyans wrist, stretched his palm under the light, and saw the long wound across Shen Shuiyans palm. Nothing, I accidentally got a scratch earlier. Shen Shuiyan shook her head, the Little Tiger finally got out on her own, she didnt even help much. She let Xin Lan frown at her palm and saw a bit of worry on her face, but she felt a bit of joy. Did that monster do this? If Id known you were hurt by her, I would have kicked her twice before we went out. Xin Lan was so serious that she felt she had suffered a loss. Shen Shuiyan was amused by her, and with her other hand, she gently patted Xin Lans hand that was holding her wrist. Lets go back. Xu Deng had already gotten used to this kind of three-person situation, and followed behind Xin Lan as she walked. After pulling Shen Shuiyan back to the dormitory, Xin Lan asked Zero Nine to find out if there was any medicine to prevent the wound from getting inflamed. She found it in Xiaochuns drawer, and there was a spray of Cloudy White Medicine in it. It turns out that Xin Lan and the others hadnt seen Xiaochun today. Maybe something has happened. Shen Shuiyan obediently reached out and allowed Xin Lan to spray her. She frowned when the spray touched her wound, but didnt make a sound, looking at the girl with her eyes focused in the light. She was really gentle, Shen Shuiyan thought. And that gentleness was hidden beneath an overpoweringly beautiful exterior that few people could see unless they wanted to. The rose may be thorny, but when held in the palm of her hand, the petals are delicate, soft and fragrant. A rose may not describe a third of the beauty of Xin Lans appearance, nor her dangerous beauty. A rose is a beautiful rose, but it is also a delicate one, and it is easy to break. She is the king of the forest, a woman of unhurried elegance and grace, and when she reveals herself, some people will be intimidated. She would open her claws and show her sharp teeth, so no one would have imagined how cute she would be when she gently scratched the beasts jaw. Shen Shuiyan was fortunate enough to be able to touch her gently, looking at Xin Lan in the white light, her eyes as deep as a deep, bottomless lake. When Xin Lan finished spraying the medicine on Shen Shuiyans hand, she raised her eyes and saw Shen Shuiyan wondering what she was thinking about, looking at her and lost in thought. Back to your senses. Xin Lan shook his hand. Shen Shuiyan blinked her eyes and resumed her normal appearance. What were you thinking about, so deep in thought? I was lost in my thoughts. Are we going out now? It was still three hours before midnight, plenty of time. Ill go out with Xu Deng, you wait here and lock the door. Xin Lan was thinking about the wound on Shen Shuiyans hand, so it would be inconvenient to help her. When Shen Shuiyan heard this, her mood, which had been bright and cheerful, suddenly turned grey. She had just thought that it was good to be hurt, that the Little Tiger was so concerned, but the next moment she was a burden. Shen Shuiyan knew the importance of the matter, and although she wanted to go with him, she nodded honestly and agreed. Xin Lan took all the pieces out of her pocket and placed them in front of Shen Shuiyan. Arent you afraid that I will escape with all your assets? Shen Shuiyan said jokingly. The first time I saw you, I said, Youre one of my people, so even if you want to run away, where can you go? Xin Lan raised her chin, not seeing the light in Shen Shuiyans eyes the moment she turned around. When Shen Shuiyan heard the words my people, her heart jumped, and her newly depressed mood instantly improved. Xu Deng was pushing at her eyes, but she felt that something was wrong with the atmosphere. In the system space, Zero Nine rubbed his hair and felt that something was wrong too. Xin Lan closed the door and Shen Shuiyan locked it behind her, staring blankly ahead. Xin Lan walked to the door, Xu Deng did not stand beside her, but followed her, Xin Lan brought her own BGM, she could not stand beside her, she felt safer behind her. Today was different from yesterday. Yesterday was a big fight, but today everyone was quiet and the doors were closed. Xin Lan walked through the corridor, but either the door was wide open and no one was there, or it was closed tightly, and Xin Lan tried to push it, but it didnt open. Is it because there are so few people there that everyone is hiding? Xu Deng guessed that the cafeteria was already pathetically empty when they had dinner this afternoon. There were probably only about fifty people in the cafeteria, excluding those she hadnt seen. The men and women were separated and there were five floors in total. There should have been more, but for the afternoon gym class, twelve people had to die, and ten classes, or 120 people, died during the afternoon. Apart from the first two, all the others were killed by their classmates. Xu Dengs back was suddenly shivering, she couldnt think about it, the more she thought about it, the more terrifying it became. They wont all be hiding. Xin Lan said with certainty. The prey would hide, but not the hunter. There must be someone like her, walking through the schoolyard, waiting to catch them. And Xin Lan wasnt afraid of being attacked by a group. Suddenly something occurred to Xin Lan and she lifted her legs to walk back. When she arrived at the dormitory next to hers, Xu Deng instantly remembered the blood she had seen that day, and the bodies that had fallen to the ground. Xu Dengs heart clenched slightly, but as soon as she saw Xin Lan, her heart relaxed again. Xin Lan tried to shove it, but it didnt open. Zero Nine: Two life-forms. Xin Lan knocked twice and was very polite. If it is not necessary, Xin Lan will always be very polite first and then go to the door. When no one answered, Xin Lan knocked twice more. Okay, were done with the formalities, its time for the troops. Xin Lan took a few steps back and started to kick the door with skill. There was a loud bang and Xu Deng shuddered subconsciously. The lock was loosened a little, and after observing the condition of the lock, Xin Lan continued to kick the door. The dormitory door was not of good quality, it was a wooden door, so it was easy for Xin Lan to kick it, if it was a steel door, Xin Lan would have climbed the balcony and assaulted it. The door was kicked open and there were two girls inside. The one with the knife was a short girl, and the one in her arms could not be seen, but she must be the one standing next to her now. The short girl was very nervous, and her hand seemed very steady with the knife, but Xin Lan felt her tremble slightly. Was she scared? Maybe. The girl with the knife waved it in the air a few times as Xin Lan approached. Dont come any closer, or Ill do something. The girl sighed with relief as Xin Lan stopped, but the next moment her eyes widened as a sharp pain shot through her wrists and the knife was knocked out of her hand. Xin Lan completed a handsome roundhouse kick and retrieved her foot in just a few seconds. Xu Deng picked up the knife and held it in her hand, standing sideways, looking out the door while keeping an eye on the inside. The shorter girl looked more calm as she saw that her weapon was gone, but her heart lifted. The taller, more refined girl next to her was cool from start to finish, the two of them holding hands, seemingly very close. You know why Im here, bring it out. Xin Lan moved her wrist, she remembered that several people had been down here, these two girls must have had quite a few on them. Xin Lans intention was clear, she would take it or else, her hands were already moving and she was ready to fight. Xu Deng was behind her, holding a knife and gesturing twice. Although her eyes were broken and she looked a bit funny, her expression was cold and frightening. Why should we give you what you want? Do you think were easy to bully? The short girl said, looking imposing, but then her expression fell and she gave a rather friendly smile, But all things are negotiable, how about forming a team, your team should not be full, we are all classmates, we have no grudges in the past, why dont we go out together? The student was acting out her face and acting out her sudden persuasion to the fullest, and she started to negotiate very smartly. The girl next to her gave her a helpless look, and looked at Xin Lan with a hint of pleading on her face. How many of you are there? Six. Xin Lan cupped her chin and nodded. Okay, fine. If you become my teammate, dont try anything, or else I can take it out of your stomach even if you swallowed the fragments of the clue. Xin Lan had a warm smile on her face, but her words were unrelentingly threatening. My name is Qi Xiao, her name is Zhou Chun. Xin Lan, Xu Deng. Xin Lan pointed to herself and then to Xu Deng. So, they had met and formed a team. It was said that they were a team, however, Qi Xiao and the girls kept a certain distance from each other as they followed Xin Lan. Xu Deng walked alongside them, watching the two out of the corner of her eye. After all, they had been through the Stairway to Doom and the Dollhouse together, and Xu Deng was self-aware of the new girl on the team. With Zero Nine scanning ahead of her, Xin Lan could tell exactly which rooms were occupied and which were not. She told Xu Lan and the others to push on the doors, while she went to the rooms that were bound to be occupied. Xin Lan kicked down dozens of doors in one night and took home a lot of loot. She did it with ease and without any fuss. Xu Deng, Qi Xiao and the others wanted to help, but when they saw Xin Lan kick one of them, knock one of them out with a lamp, and then knock them out with a shoulder slam, all three of them were silently withdrawn in a minute. Qi Xiao and Zhou Chun originally planned to be on guard against Xin Lan, to avoid having the fragments taken away and killed or thrown away, after all, the students were all crazy, who could guarantee that she would not do that, but after seeing Xin Lans strength, they decided to behave themselves. The two of them, with no weapons, might not be enough to fight Xin Lan. Xin Lan was physically strong and most of the girls were weak, not to mention the fact that she had to fight them one by one and soon swept through the girls dormitory, getting pieces of all of them. Xin Lan did not go so far as to kill all the girls, she just knocked them out and hit them so hard that they would not wake up until a day had passed, and then asked Xu Deng and the others to tie them up with something like a rope and a belt to kill them, and then put cloths in their mouths to prevent them from waking up and screaming. Even if Xin Lan and the others were fast, an hour had passed since they had done so. When Xin Lan returned to the dormitory, Shen Shuiyan looked behind Xu Deng and saw two more people following him, narrowing her eyes and looking up from her memory. Teammates. Xin Lan said. Shen Shuiyan nodded, making sure Xin Lan was okay, and then gave a light smile to Qi Xiao and the others. Xin Lan sat down on a chair and crossed her legs. Shen Shuiyan handed her water, and Xin Lan gulped it down twice without ceremony, letting out a sigh of relief. A great harvest. With a smile on her face, Xin Lan pulled out all the loot from her pocket and gave it to Shen Shuiyan, the quantity of which made Shen Shuiyan guess. All of this in the dormitory? Yes. Are you hurt anywhere? My foot hurts. Xin Lan thought for a moment and moved her foot. Why? Did you get injured? Shen Shuiyan was suddenly a little nervous. I kicked down the door, Xin Lan withdrew her foot, Its a good thing its a wooden door, otherwise it would be very difficult to kick down. Looking at the Little Tigers mumbling face, Shen Shuiyan was amused and helpless. Are they always like this? Qi Xiao asked Xu Deng, who was next to her, in a low voice. Xu Deng nodded his head and calmly pushed up her glasses, which were slipping a bit. Just get used to it. This kind of atmosphere, where no one is around and it seems like no one else is there when you talk, is good to get used to. It was a trio, no, now it was a group of five, a two-person unit. She often feels like she doesnt fit in. Xu Deng was a little happy to have a teammate to keep her out of the loop, but she immediately realised that they were also like Siamese twins. It was clear that they were both happy, but they were alone and lonely. Xin Lan took off her jumper and wore a white autumn coat underneath, shaking the collar. Is it hot? Yes, Im sweating a lot. Im going to take a bath and have a good nights sleep afterwards. Yes. Of course. Shen Shuiyan also felt that she had run for a long time today and although she was not sweating now, she felt sticky and greasy, and more importantly, Xin Lan had gone to wash the incense, so should she lie under the same blanket with her stinking, then she would be embarrassed to put her hands on Xin Lan at night. Xin Lan didnt ask if the others were going to go, she just said that she had taken care of the situation in the residence for the time being, and that she didnt know if anyone would come in later, so she would do it if she wanted to. The three remaining teammates were all prepared to do so, but after all, they were girls who liked to be clean, and the opportunity to take a shower was one that almost everyone would not miss. The three of them went back to the dormitory next door to get their things. Xu Deng had brought a few pieces of clothing with her, and since it was winter anyway, she didnt have to change into her original dormitory alone, although all those people were probably unconscious. Qi Xiao and Zhou Chun naturally went into one of the bathrooms, Xu Deng went next to them, Xin Lan was in the first one, and Shen Shuiyan was next to her. Although they wanted to wash together, there was no good excuse. If it was a dangerous situation, they could say that it was safer to wash together, but in this case, it was too embarrassing to squeeze in together, otherwise they would be looked at by Xin Lan in a strange way. She washed her hair and showered quickly, using the hairdryer to half-dry it first, and then leaned over to wait for her teammates. Although it was not scary when we all went in together, it was probably scarier to stand here alone with the hairdryer blowing and not being able to hear what was going on behind us. Shen Shuiyan was the second one to come out and smiled when she saw Xin Lan leaning over and waiting for someone. How can I help it? This gentle and reliable feeling makes me feel so comfortable, so comfortable that I want to go up and rub the Little Tigers head hard, and then bury my head and suck on it. Shen Shuiyan only dared to think about it, but now was not a good time at all. She thought that maybe she would have to wait until they were out and get better acquainted before she could do such intimate acts. After the remaining girls were all done, the five of them went back to the dormitory and locked the door like a primary school group. Xin Lan, Shen Shuiyan, and Qi Xiao, Zhou Chun, shared a blanket, while Xu Deng crawled into bed alone, slightly shivering from the winter cold. The bell rang, announcing the end of the hunt. By this time, Xin Lan had already slept soundly, so Shen Shuiyan was awake for a while, and then fell into a sweet dream with Xin Lan in his arms. The game is cruel, but at least it is gentle to the players in one way, at least it allows people to sleep well and not suffer from hunger. Perhaps this is the benefit of being a school student. The next morning, Shen Shuiyuans alarm clock rang, she reached out her hand to cross it off, rubbed her eyes and yawned. She looked at Xin Lans sleeping face at her fingertips and felt that her skin was so nice that it must be very comfortable to touch. Although she had hugged her waist, she had never touched her face before. There was no good excuse or reason to do so when she was awake, and she dared not touch her face when she was sleeping, for fear of waking her up and making her angry. Xin Lan also opened her eyes and found herself very close to Shen Shuiyan. She got up calmly, brushed her long, dishevelled hair out of her eyes and stepped over Shen Shuiyan to get out of bed. Shen Shuiyan smelled her fragrance as she passed by, and was dazed. The two of them began to pinch each others faces in a childish manner, and their relationship looked very good. She wanted to kiss Xin Lans face and pinch each others faces, too. After she had washed up, she waited for everyone to go to breakfast together. The dormitory building was quiet and almost dead, some of them were passed out in the dormitory, maybe some of them were already awake but suffering from their tied hands and gagged mouths. Shen Shuiyin took out all the pieces of string and counted them one by one, there were more than 80 of them, plus Qi Xiaos and Zhou Chuns, more than 90. Qi Xiao and Zhou Chun watched quietly as they put together the picture, and exclaimed in their hearts that they had made a profit. The two of them were very intimate, as they didnt need to make the pictures, and their faces were full of relaxation and joy knowing that they could get out. The two of them were so intimate that they didnt need to make the picture. Shen Shuiyan felt that something was wrong, but nothing was wrong, so she continued to lower her head and join Xin Lan in the serious puzzle. If Xin Lan had looked up, he would have understood what the scene was. A typical sweet scene of two Betas or one Beta and one Omega. The eighty or so pieces that made up the map. There are still some parts that are incomplete, but they dont get in the way. Are we ready to go out? Qi Xiao was a little excited, but Xin Lan and Shen Shuiyuan looked at each other. They still had some unfinished business to attend to. Xu Deng, who probably knew what they were planning, was silent, wanting to get out of this place right now, but she hadnt forgotten who it was that had made it so easy for them. Ill go, Ill be back soon. Shen Shuiyan was going to give Zou Yunfei hope and then let him wait there until he found out that they had already gone out, and then wait in despair for himself to die in here. Ill join you and finish him off right away. Xin Lan felt that it was better to punch him in the face than to let Zou Yunfei find out for himself, rather than let him realise the truth. As soon as they could, Xin Lan told the others to wait for them at the bottom of the school building. However, when Zhou Yunfei pulled him to his side, he didnt say anything and went to wait at the bottom of the building with Xu Deng. Zhou Yunfei sat in class, his face bruised and battered from the fight last night. He had locked the door for the second half of the night to give himself some breathing space, although he hadnt been able to kill either of them. When someone gently called out to him at the door, Zhou Yunfei went to look and found it was Shen Shuiyan. Shen Shuiyan waved at him with a slightly anxious expression. Zhou Yunfei hurriedly walked out and asked her what was wrong. Xin Lan has collected a lot of fragments and found a way out. What? Zhou Yunfei was shocked. I told her I had to come to the toilet because I had a stomach ache, and I snuck over to tell you that Im going to take you first, ahead of Xin Lan. Good! Zou Yunfei was so moved that he hurriedly agreed to follow behind Shen Shuiyan. When he reached the staircase, he saw Xin Lan, who was standing there with her hands in her lap, smiling and laughing. Zou Yunfei froze and shivered. T/N: no reason Ե޹ (wyunwg): no cause, no reason (idiom); completely uncalled for spoke in unison ͬ (ykutngshng): different mouths, same voice / to speak in unison (idiom) Identical һģһ(ymyyng): exactly the same (idiom) / carbon copy intimidated. η (wngrshngwi): intimidate at the first glance (idiom); awe-inspiring / terrifying / overwhelming will always be very polite first and then go (xinlhubng): peaceful measures before using force (idiom); diplomacy before violence / jaw-jaw is better than war-war without any fuss. ˮ (tundishu): lit. wading in mud and water / a slovenly job / sloppy where no one is around and it seems like no one else is there (pngruwrn): to act as though there were nobody else present / unselfconscious / fig. without regard for others CH 26 Chapter 26 After the Abolition 01 Zou Yun Feis mind went through several options at that moment, which then turned into a jumbled mess of threads that confused his mind. Xin Lan lifted her chin at him and made a movement of her neck. Zou Yun Feis heart sounded an alarm and without hesitation, he pulled Shen Shuiyan behind him. Yo, youre still very loyal, huh? Xin Lan saw Zou Yun Feis action and raised an eyebrow in surprise. Can we go out and settle our differences? Ill let you do whatever you want once we get out, its all my fault. Yun Fei took a deep breath and looked at Xin Lan with great sincerity. It was a funny scene, for those who didnt know, they would have thought that Xin Lan was the aggressive official in the palace, and Shen Shuiyan behind Zou Yun Fei was the pitiful white lotus. Xin Lan snickered, showing her disdain for this. Sorry, we re full, if you want to go out, let the person behind you die here, I ll give you the chance to think about it, how about it? Zou Yun Fei was dumbfounded for a moment as Xin Lan dropped the question. As Shen Shuiyin pretended to be distraught, she frowned at Zou Yun Fei, her eyes shining brightly. If Shen Shuiyan hadnt come here for him, then why would she have to face such a scene? But he didnt want to die ?????? Zou Yunfei looked at her, made up his mind, and suddenly attacked Xin Lan with a violent strike. Xin Lan shifted to avoid it and caught Zou Yun Feis attacking fist and twisted his arm. You really like to be insolent, you dont seem to be learning your lesson. Xin Lan said coldly, watching as Zou Yun Fei fell to one side, holding his arm. Will you let her go? You take her out. Zou Yun Fei knew he was outmatched, but for the sake of Shen Shuiyan, he tried to calm his breathing and pleaded with Xin Lan. Xin Lan pressed down the corner of his lips and looked coldly at Zou Yun Fei, feeling a little upset. This mans attitude was really distasteful, trying to touch someone? Even if it was the original owner standing here, she would only be more angry with him for his behaviour. Who is he attempting to touch? This kind of affection was ironic when compared to what had happened before. Xin Lan looked at Shen Shuiyan, but found that she was not moved at all. She only looked at Zou Yun Fei with a watchful eye, and when she found Xin Lan looking at her, she gave her a smile. The dissatisfaction in Xin Lans heart suddenly disappeared, fortunately, a certain school bully was not that easy to fool. Forget it, I can t be bothered with you, let s go. When Xin Lan said this, Zou Yun Yun Fei froze, a little puzzled, but suddenly he reacted and stared at Shen Shuiyan behind him with wide eyes. The look on Shen Shuiyans face was not the same as the pitiable expression she had just worn, but was replaced by a smile. You lied to me! Zou Yun Fei was in a state of shock and anger as he looked at Shen Shuiyan with a deadly look. I deceived you, so what? Shen Shuiyan passed by him and gave him a disdainful smile. Zou Yun Fei was so irritated by her that he reached out to grab her, but Xin Lan was quick to pull him down and remove his other arm as well. Youve been lying to me! Why are you doing this to me! What have I done to you! Zou Yun Fei shouted angrily, remembering his previous feelings, he felt as if he had been slapped a few times, his face was hot and burning. It was so funny, maybe while he was feeling for Shen Shuiyuans actions, people were laughing at him in their hearts for being stupid. Have you forgotten what you did to Xin Lan before? How can you say that I lied to you now? Whats more, youve been lying to her for so long, but Ive only been lying to you for a day or two. Shen Shuiyan said very coldly, she still felt that it was not enough, the time was still too short. Zou Yun Feis eyes turned red and his anger surged. Youre actually doing this for her! Ive never seen you fight for justice before, and now youre pretending to fight for life? I knew you first! How dare you! Zou Yun Fei was about to vomit blood as he said, half in anger and half in mockery. Yes, I cant believe it took me so long to realise how evil you are. Shen Shuiyan was relentless in her efforts to make up for it, standing beside Xin Lan and taking her hand. Her palm was cold and Xin Lan rubbed it for her. Seeing their attitude, Zou Yun Fei instantly understood what was going on and looked at them with an even more disgusted look. If you dont like me, why dont you say no? You just like to see people hovering around you and hugging you, dont you? So you are a woman-loving b*tch. Youre a woman-loving wh*r*, youre in front of me all the time ?????? He almost spoke out of turn, and before he could say anything more foul, Xin Lan slapped him off. Your mother didnt tell you to go home and take a sh*t instead, spouting shit all over the place? Xin Lan also found it amusing that Zou Yun Fei was unilaterally interested in Shen Shuiyan and had never confessed his feelings for her, nor had he been asked to be nice to her. Shen Shuiyans focus was not on Zou Yun Feis insults to her, but on the phrase likes women. Her eyes lit up slightly and she squeezed Xin Lans hand without making a sound. I didnt like women right from the start, thanks to you, or else I wouldnt have discovered Xin Lans qualities. Compared to you, Xin Lan is many times better than you, even if I had willingly liked her, I wouldnt have been able to give you a second glance. Shen Shuiyan always stabbed people in the heart, so when Zou Yun Fei said that, she went along with his words and continued to step on him. Shen Shuiyan walked up to Xin Lan and leaned her body slightly forward, giving her a gesture, asking her to cooperate. Xin Lan received the gesture, but before she knew how to cooperate, she saw Shen Shuiyan lean in close and kiss her on the lips, just like a dragonfly touching water, but the momentary touch was really too much. Xin Lan was frozen, and so was Zero Nine in the system space. Zou Yun Feis eyes became even redder at this scene. The person he liked had betrayed him by mocking him without mercy, he was being played like a clown, his heart was being trampled on, and the person he loved was the woman who had repeatedly humiliated him, his ex-girlfriend. But he couldnt even beat this woman, his arm was twisted and he stood here like a wretch, watching the two women taunt him. His sanity had been burned to the ground and he gave a twisted smile. If its not good for me, it wont be good for you either. Someone is setting ?????? up. Zou Yun Fei suddenly shouted, and Xin Lan knew what he wanted to do, so she grabbed him by the hair and pulled him against the wall. Blood made a red mark on the wall as Xin Lan let go of the man he had knocked into unconsciousness. Is it painful? Someone has suffered a hundred times more than you. Xin Lan asked in his ear, her voice grim. It wasnt hunting time, she couldnt kill him. But that didnt matter, sometimes living was more painful than dying, especially when you were waiting to die. Xin Lan cut Zou Yun Feis tongue with her knife and watched as his eyes widened, but he was unable to cry out in pain. She dragged him into the ladies room, just as she had done with the man who had done this to her, stabbing his body bloody. A trail of blood stretched across the floor of the corridor. This should have been a very penetrating scene, but Shen Shuiyan stood still without fear. She touched her lips with a thoughtful look. Xin Lan dropped the man on the floor of the bathroom and patted herself on the back. Zero Nine: Bingo, congratulations to the host for completing the task, I have submitted it, you can see the assessment result when you go out. The points will go into the hosts account. The system takes the secondary card, which can be used for a reasonable 30%, and the system can spend more if the host wishes. Xin Lan nodded, and Zero Nine did not ask her if she wanted to log out now. Obviously, Xin Lan wanted to wait until she got out of here before she logged out. Enjoy the desperation here. Xin Lan said indifferently. Like the original owner, she was devastated and desperate. She was mocked and abandoned by the one she loved, dragged into the room and abused. The young girl wanted Zou Yun Fei to die at that time, but she had seen hope, but the person she once loved was not there. Zou Yun Wanfeis eyes were full of resentment, but Xin Lan turned away and did not look at the man on the floor again. Xin Lan walked out of the bathroom and Shen Shuiyan was waiting for her at the staircase. Those who were still alive poked their heads out of the classroom, but when they saw the blood on the floor, they withdrew their eyes indifferently. They would not know that they would not be able to wait for the result here. When Xin Lan and Shen Shuiyan came downstairs, Xu Demg and the others sighed with relief. We can go now, cant we? Of course. Xin Lan nodded her head. On the way down the stairs, neither Xin Lan nor Shen Shuiyan mentioned the kiss, pretending in silence that nothing had happened. Shen Shuiyan was thinking about something, while Xin Lan took it as a way for Shen Shuiyin to be angry with Zou Yun Fei, and apart from being a little uncomfortable at the time, she didnt really care about it. The finished map revealed a route, and the strange thing to note was that the pieces fit together. The pieces fit together as if they had never been separated, without the need for glue. Walking past the Academic and Administration buildings, down the steps and onwards. Inside the school is a small lake with a small path surrounded by cobbles and willow trees on both sides of the embankment. The climate here is not too cold in winter, and the lake surface is slightly rippled by the wind. You have to walk from here to the end. Xin Lan looked at the map and walked on. Hey? Is there still a road in here? I thought it was circular? Just follow it. In response to Qi Lan, who had just spoken, Zhou Chun walked hand in hand at the back of the group. Xin Lan and Shen Shuiyan walked ahead with the map, while Xu Deng followed in the middle. This formation made Xu Deng feel better, at least he wasnt alone at the end, looking at the pairs of backs in front of her. After we go out, lets go have a nice meal. Shen Shuiyan suddenly started to speak. Xin Lan was stunned, not knowing whether she should respond or be silent. I know a very good hot pot restaurant, Ill ask you out. Shen Shuiyan did not notice Xin Lans silence and said with a smile on her face. She might have a few things she hadnt thought of yet, but that didnt stop her from making an invitation. She had always been a person with a plan, and there was no need to rush things, she would figure them out. Sure. Xin Lan said. But she didnt think she would be able to eat this hot pot. This worlds mission was finished when she went out, and there was no other follow-up, which meant that she could not have a meal with Shen Shuiyan even if she wanted to. A mission worker can stay in a world for a limited time, but as long as they have enough points to pay for their stay, they can stay in that world for as long as they want, provided there is enough time to stay in that world. The length of stay is dictated by the subsequent storyline, and the mission worker can stay in that world up to the time line where the subsequent storyline goes. Shen Shuiyan was unaware of this and continued to walk forward with great excitement. Xin Lan was silent, inexplicably feeling a bit sorry for having forsaken her little sister. After all, she was not someone who could easily feel sad, and she could still tell what was a mission and what was reality. At the end of the cobbled path, there is a small staircase down. Following the map, they walked down the steps to a place like an underground tunnel and came to a metal door. The door looked old and rusty, and when Xin Lan opened it, she accidentally touched a handful of rust with her hand. A cold wind blew through the narrow passage as they entered the door. Everyone shivered involuntarily, and Qi Lan muttered behind him that it was eerie. But no matter how gloomy it was, we still had to move forward, after all, this was not the end point of the map. When they reached the so-called end point, Xin Lan let out a sigh of relief. It was a good thing that the rules werent so heartless as to get in their way just as they were about to leave. Not far away was a light source, like the one Xin Lan had seen in the extra episode of the game. That should be it, lets go. As they approached, a commanding voice sounded in their heads. Congratulations to a team that has successfully reached the exit, please accept the blessing that comes from me. A pale light glowed over Xin Lans body, and then dissipated. Whether it is strength or luck, winning is a sign that you deserve a good life, so get out. The next moment, Xin Lan felt as if her body was being pushed forward. As the light disappeared before her eyes, she appeared in a familiar place. Stretching out beside her, Zero Nine walked up and pulled the door to the mission room open for her. Back, geez, Im tired. Zero Nine collapsed onto her couch and took a happy sip of her Coke. Xin Lan walked out and sat down in his chair in some silence. Host, our evaluation is really an S. Huh, wait, theres another line on it. Zero Nine pushed up her glasses, the numbers in her eyes flashing rapidly. With the bug in the quest world, we multiplied our points by one point two, oh hell, profit! Zero Nine, after taking a look at her own small vault, quickly placed an order for a box of mixed flavored crisps and a box of Sprite mixed with Coke, the life of a nerd, is that happy. Sister Lan, do you want the sub-surprise chips? Zero Nine ripped open the packet and shoved it into her mouth as she brought it to Xin Lan. Xin Lan reached out and took one, her face quiet. Whats wrong? Youre still thinking about the hot pot from before, arent you? Shall we go out for hotpot tonight? Just thinking about it. Xin Lan smacked her head. She just hadnt had time to say goodbye. Never mind. We wouldnt see each other again anyway. Host, do you want me to make an appointment for you to have your memory faded? No. In the past, fading was because there were a lot of bad memories from being a villain, but not this time, so lets leave it. Ill go to bed and I ll take you to a hot pot when I wake up. Long live the host! Zero nine begins on the couch, watching TV and drinking soda. The system doesnt need to rely on these foods to operate, and they dont provide energy for the system because the system cant digest them, the energy from the food is temporarily stored in the body and then excreted in a special way. This was a good thing, because no matter how much the system ate or drank, it didnt have to worry about gaining weight. Xin Lan went to her room, took a shower and lay down on her bed. In fact, she was not too sleepy, but some things passed through her mind and nothing remained. Zero Nine was eating chips with her legs crossed, a large box of freshly arrived mixed flavours at her feet, when a sudden dripping sound came from her mind, a communication request. Zero Nine blinked strangely, a high authority id that she hadnt seen before contacting her? Hello, this is Face System G09 Zero Nine. Hmm? The host is Xin Lan, who has just switched from the Villain Department. A routine survey of post-transfer enquiries? Do you want me to comment about the host? Oooooh ok, my host is very good and has very high potential. Do you want to know where the next mission will be? Im not sure yet, do you want to investigate this one too, senior? Ah, so youre the one in charge of this mission, okay, Ill send you a message when the next one is scheduled. See you later, senior. Zero Nine sighed in relief, suddenly being contacted by a senior was a bit confusing. This senior was of such a high rank that he must have already retired. For the systems, the retired seniors were not the same as the old guys. On the contrary, they were usually the best performers, having done so many missions and performed so well that they no longer had to take on a host, becoming independent individuals, taking command of a department or a mission series, or simply going off to play. Zero Nine put the matter behind her, watching TV while waiting for Xin Lan to wake up and take her to a hot pot. When Xin Lan woke up, it was dinner time. She was wearing a knitted shirt in khaki and her long hair was tied in a low ponytail behind her, leaving a little bit of it hanging down on her sides, which matched her bright face and gave off a little bit of tenderness. At first glance, Zero Nine was a little disbelieving, feeling that the beautiful and elegant looking woman in front of her was not her host, after all, Xin Lans image of brutality was already deeply rooted in her heart. No? Xin Lan fastened the watch on her wrist and looked at Zero Nine, who was still immobile. The sight gave Zero Nine a fright, still the same host. The nearest hotpot restaurant to Xin Lan was very popular, with hosts who knew each other well going out to eat hotpot with their respective daughters in tow. Some systems are so humanoid like Zero Nine that you cant tell the difference between them and a human unless you stare into the systems eyes. Some are rabbits, some are orbs, some are chicken cubs, and some are more dramatic, such as dragons, phoenixes, tigers and leopards. The two hosts sitting at the table next to Xin Lans, one in a short dark skirt and the other in a long wide sleeved robe, were sweating over a hot pot together. Two? The smart order form at the desk begins. Yes. Order, please. Jiuer, what would you like? Lets start with the lamb rolls, beef rolls, beef and prawn sliders, potatoes and lotus root with fried sticks, mushroom platter, QQ noodles, and a large bottle of coconut juice, well order afterwards. Zero Nines eyes shone brightly as she looked at Xin Lan, whose speed of ordering could not keep up with her speed of announcing the name of the dish. Of course its okay, it wont kill you. Xin Lan smiled, how could this new system be so good at eating? But after all, it was her own daughter, so she had to feed it anyway. The hot air of the hot pot restaurant smothered everyone in the bustling crowd, and when Xin Lan saw that Zero Nine was too busy to eat, she helplessly started to prepare slices of meat for Zero Nine, so much so that she didnt notice the eyes from behind. There was only one person sitting at that table, so she picked up her cup and raised it distantly towards Xin Lan, bowing her head and eating the hot pot in silence. This was the agreement, lets eat hot pot together. She wanted to go up and say hello, but there was something else she hadnt figured out yet. If she went up to greet her, she would feel that it would be a bland greeting, with no words spoken to each other. After returning from the hotpot restaurant, Xin Lan took a few days off before asking Zero Nine to pick her next task. Data flashed in Zero Nines eyes as she looked at one from the quest panel. Host, is the Ancient Realm OK? Yes. This one isnt as exciting as the last one, but its a career-based face-slap, so I think youll like it. Xin Lan didnt say anything and pushed the door of the mission room open. ???????????? Wu State, 4th year of Yuan Ling. The Empress has broken the rules of the Palace of the Moon, her heart is poisonous and she has poisoned the Emperors Heir, her crime is unforgivable, from this day onwards, her position is abolished, she is demoted to a concubine, and she is moved to the Palace in the Moon on a permanent basis. As soon as Xin Lan came to the palace, she heard the ear-splitting voice of someone who had been accused of the crime, and the emotions of the original owner tumbled through her mind, causing her a headache. The eunuch who delivered the decree saw that the Empress was still sitting in her mahogany chair, her head slightly bowed, and was somewhat dissatisfied. Xin, why dont you kneel down and accept the decree? Xin Lan was frowning at the words, she hated this feudal and backward country. The one thing she disliked most about this feudal, backward country was the kneeling around. She was now an obsolete Empress, so she waved her hand at the eunuch. Yes, leave it there. Are you disobeying the order? The Imperial Eunuch was angry at her frivolous attitude and scolded her sternly. The eunuchs ears are not working well, are they? When did I say that I would disobey the imperial decree? If you think Changqiu Palace is not a worthy place for this decree, you can put it on the table instead, do you understand what I mean? Thinking that she was an abolitionist, Xin Lan did not follow the original owners previous self-proclaimed meaning. The Imperial Eunuch was shaken by her faint glance and slightly mocking words, and subconsciously flinched, but immediately thought that he had nothing to fear since she was already a deposed Empress, and was somewhat embarrassed. Your Majesty, no, Xin, who do you think you are to disrespect the imperial decree? Fine, Xin Lan nodded, Ill take the decree. Xin Lan walked over, the pearls and rings on her head making her a little uncomfortable as she moved closer, snatching the decree out of her hand just as the Imperial Eunuch was getting complacent. What else does the eunuch have to say? If you have nothing to say, please go back, dont delay my packing. Xin Lan curled a smile, but it was a hard smile that made peoples backs feel like they were getting sick. The Imperial Eunuch was so angry at her that he flung his horsetail whisk and left huffing and puffing. Xin Lan sat back in her chair, setting the bright yellow decree aside on the table, took a sip of her tea and put it down. The reason why she dared to be so impolite was because Zero Nine had just given her some important background simplification, the reason that backed her up in doing so, and the reason that had ruined the original owner and landed her in this situation C a foreign relative. The original owner had the same first and last name as her, and Xin Lan guessed that the original owners name would be the same for all the missions in this series. The original owner is a legitimate daughter, her father is a Left Prime Minister, her mother is the daughter of a Generalissimo of Zhenyuan and her older brother is a Young High-Ranking Official of the Imperial Court of Judicial Review. In the second year of his marriage, he succeeded in seizing the throne. In theory, the original Princess should have been loved and adored by the Emperor, and in the first year she became the Crown Princess, and in the second year she became the Empress, but this was not the case. The Emperor treated her with indifference for four years, and after four years on the throne, she was restricted by her father and older brother, and was unable to vent her anger at the court. The Emperor is a cold-hearted and patronising man who is always critical of her and only comes to her palace on the prescribed two days a month, never staying overnight. At first, she was heartbroken, but then her heart died and she knew that she was not loved, so she went on with her life as a dignified Empress. However, as the Empress is not favoured, other peoples minds are active and they deliberately or unwittingly give the Emperor an opportunity to bully her and secretly suppress her. But the original owner is not a fool either. If anyone disrespects her, they will be punished according to the rules, so she has many enemies in the palace. The Empress did not care, originally she was in this position and all the women wanted to sit on it, whether she fought or not, she was going to be envied and bullied, so she simply had the strength to vent her anger. This time, the reason for her abolishment was the cruelty to the Emperors heir, although she had no children. The original owner did not have any children, but she wanted to raise a child under her own roof, and in this case, she had her eye on the child of Lady Liu, who was just a few months pregnant. But at this time, she suffered from a miscarriage. First, it was found that there was something strange in the food sent by the Empress, and then the maidservant of Lady Liu claimed that the Empress had ordered her to do so, and that the Empress had threatened her family and her children, so she had to comply. The Emperor didnt care if she was innocent or not, but he didnt bother to investigate her seriously, so he just decided to abolish her position as Empress and relegate her to the rank of a commoner. In the light of her background, this should not have been the case, as the Emperor would have angered the Empress family by doing so. But the original owner had a replacement, or rather, the Xin family had a new pawn who would take her place as Empress. Now she was a useless pawn, but the original owner did not know that. Xin Lan touched the red coloured kohl on her hand and rubbed the corners of her temples. In that case, the original owner should be the ex-wife, not the ex-girlfriend. Zero Nine: Ahem, within the context of the situation, the same thing. Before Xin Lan could get Zero Nine to give her a follow-up, someone came in and reminded her that it was time to go. At that moment, two servant girls came out carrying a bag each and bent down to Xin Lan. Master, its all packed. The only two maids in the palace were two old maids, one called Hehua, who had been with the Empress for several years, and the other, Chun Yue, a maid whom the Empress had saved and raised when she entered the palace. Xin Lan nodded, went into the Inner Palace, took off her gorgeous dress, put her pearls and accessories away in a box, and the three of them left the palace, following the eunuch. After walking out of the magnificent Changqiu Palace, Xin Lan did not look back. It was a palace where even the moonlight could not enter, a cold palace. Halfway to the palace, a fragrant aroma came and a laughing voice sounded in my ears. Yo, isnt this the Empress? Why are you dressed like this? She was dressed in an apricot-yellow flowered dress, wearing a cloudy bun, with an ornamental jeweled butterfly hairpin in gilded silver, and holding a bamboo fan with a clay-gold silk mask and masked smile, revealing most of her face, followed by two palace maids. Greetings, Your Highness. The eunuch who was leading the way bowed and stepped aside. Seeing that Xin Lan did not answer, the palace maid beside Senior Concubine hastened to speak up. My Lord, you dont know, but the Empress has been relegated to the rank of concubine by a decree this morning. So that s how it is I got up a little late yesterday, so I didn t hear about it No wonder you look so thin Sister, you re also a little too mean The child in Lady Liu s belly is also His Majesty s child, how could you do that? Her fan swayed gently in her hand, first in shame and then in sorrow, but her eyes were full of pity and mockery. She was a bit of a rival to the original owner, and she hated the fact that she had to come down and take that position herself. Xin Lan only felt that this person was so noisy and waited for her to finish her speech with a paralyzed face. She was just here to watch a good show, but she didnt have anything to show her. Do you really think that you can sit in that position after I leave? When will you change your naivety? If youve finished talking, go. Its hard for my sister to come all this way to see me, and I will watch over you. Eunuch, lets go. Xin Lan, who was taller than Senior Concubine, bowed her head slightly as she said this, looking over her shoulder. With her teeth clenched, the Senior Concubine squeezed the embroidered handkerchief in her hand. Why was this woman not sad, not angry, not crying! Why did she still look as if she was not going to the cold palace, but was receiving the salute of an imperial concubine! Xin Lan! I am the one who won! Its me! Senior Concubine seethed, but the figure in front of her did not look back. She threw the fan in her hand to the ground in anger and stomped on it, as if it was not a fan but a person she hated with a passion. Xin Lan entered the Palace in the Moon and after watching them enter, the vermilion painted door was closed. Stay here, Master, while the servants clean up the place. Chun Yue rolled up her sleeves and Xin Lan nodded. Both Chun Yue and He Hua put down their bundles and began to clean up the well. Xin Lan patted the dust off the swing in the courtyard and sat down on it to receive the rest of the drama. As her thoughts cleared, Xin Lan didnt know whether to say it was sad or unfortunate. The story did not start out the way it does now, things have remained the same, but people have changed. When she first married her husband, it was because she was in love with the Fifth Prince, but she didnt know that he was deliberately trying to make her heart flutter. After she came to the royal palace, she was so virtuous and gentle that the Fifth Prince pampered her in every way before he became emperor and immediately cooled off when he ascended to the throne, but she didnt notice and just thought the Emperor was too busy. This is only the beginning of an unfortunate situation, which at best makes her a sad political casualty, but the Emperor has done more than that. It was one of the sins of the emperor that he lied about his feelings and pretended to be sincere. This is one of the sins of the emperor, who has been poisoning the original owner at the beginning of her marriage into the royal family, so that she is unable to bear children. This is the third of the three sins of the Emperor, who deliberately ridiculed and even disliked her as the main culprit. These three sins were not known to the original owner and she was kept in the dark from the beginning to the end. He deceived her emotionally, only to use her, drugged her at the time when she was fifteen, deprived her of her maternal rights without her knowledge, and spent the next three or four years mocking and taunting her for not being able to give birth to a child, and when other concubines were acting as demons, he was biased, deliberately mentioned other women in front of her, doted on other women, and in the words of Zero Nine, was simply not a very human person. But this is not the only thing that happens to the original owner. In the subsequent episodes, she suffers something even more painful. After becoming the Empress, she is living in the cold palace, but she does not panic too much because she knows that she still has a family and will not stay here like this. Instead of receiving the news she wanted, she learns that her family has allowed a new girl to marry into the palace and become the Empress, and she knows that it is impossible for her to return to that position, she has been abandoned. It was a reasonable but unjustifiable course of action, and the original owner was disheartened, having lived so little for half her life, only to end up with nothing. In the cold palace, she plans to live on, but someone is still unwilling to let her go. The candidate for the imperial examinations, which is held every four years, happens to be this year, and the candidate, who is a brilliant scholar and a good-looking man, disappears when he is about to leave the palace drunk at a banquet. The emperor sends his men to look for him, but they find him on a rocky hill not far from there, in disguise, being pressed by a woman, the ruined Empress. Of course, the original owner could not have done such a thing as to go out of the cold palace and seduce a stranger. But anyone with a discerning eye would know that there was something fishy about this. So, of course, she was sentenced to beatings for disorderly conduct and unethical behaviour. Who else in the palace but the Emperor could have knocked her unconscious, messed up her clothes, and then accurately lured the drunken and drugged scholar to that place? And the Emperor ordered the caning, not a glass of poison. The original owner was then beaten to death. The Emperors order to torture his former wife in such a vicious and despicable way is a bit too disgraceful. As the original owner herself said, she had lived half her life, but could not understand it. Thinking of the emperor, whom she had never seen before in her memory, Xin Lan felt a wave of disgust in her heart. For an emperor, love must not be the most important thing, but rather the kingdom, and to deal with such a person, one must take away everything from him and let him die a horrible death, just like what happened to the original owner. Zero Nine: Sister Lan, if it is said that love is not important to the scum, do we still have to go ahead with the previous plan? Xin Lan: What plan? Zero Nine: To steal his woman. Xin Lan: Of course, this time, we have to do it too. Although love is not the most important thing to a scumbag, its still enough to give him a good blow, not to mention the fact that this time, the female lead is very important to the scumbag. The ill-fated, set-up scholar is this time the heroine. Although she is a woman, she has extraordinary talents and has contributed a lot to the removal of foreign relatives and the promotion of the Xin family. However, when he sees her at the Golden Luen Hall, he is overjoyed to learn of her status as a woman, and he is so taken with her that he considers her to be his equal and a true Empress. If Xin Lan is to say so, the scum is a dog. He had deliberately set up the young scholar, otherwise he could have arranged for someone else to dispose of the original owner, and when the young scholar was in a state of delirium, the emperor rushed over and punished the original owner, then took the young scholar to his palace, did that kind of thing, made the marriage contract, and promised all kinds of vows. Xin Lan felt disgusted just thinking about it. What was the difference between that and committing rape. No matter which way you look at it, Xin Lan must snatch this person. CH 27 Chapter 27. The Power of the Court: Just a Hand to Cover the Sky (Arc 2) After completing the plot, Xin Lan began to think back on the incident of Lady Lius miscarriage. The whole story of the original owner being framed was simple and yet complicated. The original owner wanted the child in her belly, so naturally she would be more attentive to her, and from time to time, she would send her some nourishing and beneficial medicinal food. That day, the original owner sent the medicine to the lady and ate with her before getting up to leave. As soon as she returned to Changqiu Palace, a servant came to report that Lady Liu had had a miscarriage. She was so shocked that she immediately turned around and rushed to Lady Lius residence. When she arrived, the emperor had already arrived and was accompanied by Senior Concubine Gui and Imperial Concubine Man. In order to keep the Xin family in check, the emperor was constantly making moves in the imperial court and also in the harem and there were four high ranking concubines: Concubine Gui, Concubine Man, Concubine Xi and Concubine Han. The previous three are all at odds with the protagonist and would like to see her suffer bad luck, but Concubine Han has no problems with the protagonist, as she is weak and has never been one to meddle in things. The emperor is furious when the doctor finds out that there is something in the food that is bad for pregnant women. The emperor was furious, and she confessed that she did not know about it, and that she had eaten with her to ensure her safety and had no intention of harming the heir. At this point, the two concubines add fuel to the fire by making taunting and suspicious remarks, making the emperor even more furious. In this situation, the original owner was undoubtedly very frustrated. She was finally grounded for three days and returned to her palace. However, on the second day of her grounding, the servant girl of Lady Liu, who had been handed over to the Department of Punishment, revealed the truth under torture. The servant girl said that the Empress had told her to do so, and that she had given her a pill that could make a woman miscarry, which she had put in the medicine for the pregnancy, and the Empress had threatened the life of her family, so she dared not disobey. The Emperor was furious and wrote an imperial decree to have the original owner abolished. It is not known how many people were behind this incident, however, there were a number of people who did it. Concubine Gui, Concubine Man, Concubine Xi, one of the three, and of course, the Emperor. But would the emperor really be so cruel as to use his own child to drag the original owner down, besides the Xin family is still a huge family that could be replaced by someone in that position? Xin Lan thinks not, but of course the reason is that there is not yet a son in the harem. This is puzzling. An emperor, many concubines, and none of them could give birth to a child, which was a bit too odd. The reason why the original owner couldnt give birth was because she was sterilized, but what about the rest of them? After all either the emperor himself could not allow anyone to conceive or the emperor did not want anyone in his harem to conceive, but both of these points are overruled by Lady Liu and do not stand. If the Emperor did not want anyone to get pregnant, how could he have allowed Lady Liu to get pregnant? Lady Lius position was low, and the child she gave birth to could not be put in her name, and would have to be given to another concubine to raise. But the emperor did not want a woman from the Xin family to bear his child, otherwise the Xin familys power would have gone up a notch, and if that child grew up to inherit the throne, the Emperor would have been furious, and the Xin family would have been a thorn in the Emperors side, a thorn in his flesh, an existence he could not stand. If that was the reason, it was not impossible to kill ones own child. Suddenly she felt that it was better to escape from the world, although peoples hearts were unpredictable, it was better than this kind of complexity. Master, the room has been cleaned, would you like to move inside and rest? Chun Yue said respectfully, and Xin Lan shook his head. No, Ill stay here for a while. Although the situation seemed unpleasant and confining, it was not so bad, there was plenty of room to move around. As for the two maids at her side, they were loyal in the original owners memory, but in Xin Lans case, they would have to be evaluated. What she was going to do next would require her to have someone she could trust. The two maids were so busy that Xin Lan, seeing how tired they were, wanted to help with the well water, but Chun Yue hastily asked her to leave. The master doesnt have to suffer like this, just come with the slaves. Now that this place has wronged the master, the slaves have to clean it up, so that the master can live more comfortably. The master should not be too upset. When the grievances are washed away, we can leave. Chunyue said so, but her eyes were red. They all knew that these were just words of relief. When they came in, most of them would have no possibility of going out, unless the emperor favored her again, but they all knew how unfair the emperor was with her, and it might be impossible to go out. . Ok. Xin Lan nodded, not comforted by the maids kindness. Since she couldnt help, Xin Lan sat next to her and continued to be in a daze. After getting used to the colorful entertainment life, when you come to this era of scarce entertainment resources, you cant help but feel a little boring. When Xin Lan first went to the ancient plane, she was shocked by the backwardness. After all, she thought that the interstellar era she was in was already an ordinary civilization, but it was quite uncomfortable to return to the ancient civilization all at once. Then, when she reached the plane of cultivation, she saw a series of existences that violated the principles of science and gravity, and she had silently reorganized her three views. Xin Lan wanted to find a book to read. She had her own translator. The unfamiliar letters on the book could be transformed into the text she was most familiar with in her mind, but when she packed up in a hurry, she didnt have time to take a lot of clothes, let alone books. Things like this. Xin Lan shook the swing and looked at the world surrounded by the palace wall. Occasionally, a bird flew by, stopping on the eaves of the house to comb his feathers. The evening sun shone, indicating that the day was coming to an end. Xin Lan walked around the yard to relieve her sedentary discomfort. Zero Nine: Host, there is something! Hehua, she was talking to others, saying that your attitude was very calm, as if you were okay. Xin Lan frowned slightly, Hehua? The maid was supposed to be a maid of the Xin family, and she followed her into the royal residence and the palace. Xin Lan: Locate the maid who talked to her and see where she went last. Zero Nine: Okay. Chun Yue, where is Hehua? Sister Hehua has gone to get dinner. Chun Yue hung her head. It was clear that before today, her master was sitting in the Changqiu Palace waiting to be served, so why did they have to go and get it themselves? As she thought about this, Chun Yue felt a bit upset and turned her head to hide her face, quietly blushing. A short time later, Hehua came back with a food box. She placed the box on the round table and set it out one by one. This ?????? Chun Yue twisted her eyebrows, the food was even worse than what they used to eat, and now they were actually giving it to the master. The food was not bad enough for Xin Lan to see, so he told Chun Yue and Hua to sit down and eat together. Master, how can this be allowed to continue? Sit down, now that were like this, we dont have to worry about that. There were only a few dishes, and Xin Lan knew that these two girls wanted to wait for her to finish eating the leftovers, but she wasnt that inhumane, so she didnt have to follow too many rules anyway. Chun Yue and He Hua sat down in a formal manner, and for a while the only sound was the clinking of dishes. At this moment, Zero Nine told Xin Lan the information about the palace maid. Xin Lans chopsticks paused, and then she naturally picked up a vegetable and continued to eat. Although it didnt taste much, it tasted much more normal than the canteen in the last mission. After finishing the meal, Hehua cleaned up the dishes and Chun Yue went to boil water. Xin Lan stood in the main house, which was not dilapidated, but without any decoration. Chun Yue boiled the water and came to ask Xin Lan to bathe. When Xin Lan came out of the house in her clothes, the two maids were ready to leave. Hold on a moment, I have something to say. What else do you want, Master? The two maids stopped, turned and walked over to Xin Lan. Hehua. The slave servant is here. Kneel down. She looked up and saw Xin Lans calm, clear eyes and hastily knelt down. Chun Yue did not understand what had happened, after all, she had just been fine, why had her master suddenly become upset? She stood there with her head bowed and heard Xin Lans inaudible voice. Do you know what kind of person I hate the most? The slave is stupid, the slave does not know. Hehua pressed her forehead to the ground and lowered her body to the ground. Unfaithful, unfilial and unrighteous people. The slave has absolutely no second thoughts! She knocked her head a few times with a thumping sound, and her look was so loyal that the sun and moon could see it. How many years have you been with me, Hehua? Xin Lan did not show any different expression at her words, but simply asked. I have been with you since before you left the court, and it is now my eighth year. Eight years. ?????? Xin Lan trailed off, seemingly sighing. The Xin family has treated you well, and I think I have treated you well too ?????? Naturally, my master has treated me well. Her body was so stiff that even her voice trembled a little. Then why are you still turning your elbow, eh? Her heart stirred and her palms began to sweat coldly. She didnt dare to look up, she just kept kowtowing. Come on, I still have a sore head, tell me why, how many favours did she promise to make you betray me? Xin Lan sat on the main seat, her expression bland and unruffled. She was so used to her violent and angry behaviour that she felt panic when she saw her like this. Chun Yue had already changed her face slightly when Xin Lan said that she was disloyal, unfilial and unrighteous, and looked at He Hua incredulously. Master, the slave servant did not, the slave servant did not. Her eyes were lifted, her face full of tears and a large bruise on her forehead, which looked rather pitiful. Is there no treachery, or is there no advantage? He Hua was silent, and when she met Xin Lans eyes, she cried even harder. Master, slave servant has not betrayed you, slave servant just ?????? just ?????? talked about something inconsequential, thats all! Believe me, master, slave servant really did not betray you. If you did it, you did it, if you didnt do it, you didnt do it. What was your suffering that you had to betray me, how about telling me? If it had been the original owner, she would have been in a lot of pain when she was betrayed by Hehua, who had been with her all the way for eight years, but Xin Lan was calm and insensitive. In the original plot, the original owner did not even know about it until her death. He Hua wiped away her tears and began to choke up a little as she told the truth. Its simple, not complicated at all. Theres hardly any coercion, so its a bit ridiculous. She has fallen in love with one of the palace guards and has been caught in the act of making love, or to put it crudely, having an affair. If people knew about this, He Hua would be killed, and the guard would not end up any better, so both of them kept their affair secret. Later on, the affair between the two is known to Concubine Xi, who uses the guards life to threaten her, so that she betrays her. From He Huas point of view, and that was probably a dilemma, a lover on one side and a master on the other. So youre betraying me for a man? What a great love, Xin Lan thought with an expressionless face. This slave servant really didnt do anything for Her Ladyship Xi, its just that occasionally she asks me how youve been, and I try to pick out the good things to say, really, Master, Hehua didnt lie to you! You like that guard, why dont you tell me so I can still keep you with me and not let you marry? Its him ?????? he said it wasnt time yet, that he would come and marry me when he had enough money ?????? I thought you were a clever girl, how could you do such a foolish thing? Do you know which lords patrol that guard is under? I dont know. Do you know his name? He told me his name was Chang Yen. Where is he from? What is his age? Any sisters in the family? Are the parents alive? At her question, Hehua was dumbfounded by the question. Xin Lan rubbed her head and felt a vague pain in her brain. Why didnt you ever think that this was a ploy by Concubine Xi? The guard was already a member of Concubine Xis family? I have an old grudge with Concubine Xi, you know very well, how many people are watching me dont you know? How can you still do such a thing? Slave servant ?????? slave servant ?????? As if she had thought of something, her face slowly turned white. Okay, I dont want to hear it anymore, this matter of Lady Liu giving birth, does it have anything to do with you? No, how dare I do such a thing! I know you wanted that child, and I would not have spoiled it for you! Please forgive me, Master, I really have not revealed any important information about you! My Lady I ?????? Whether I did or not, because a man betrayed me, this is an established fact. You yourself think about what you have to explain to me, and dont leave out one thing at a time. Xin Lan got up and Chun Yue got up and hastened to hold her arm. He Hua was paralyzed in place, lost in thought, full of confusion. When did she find out? How did she know? Was that man really a deliberate trap sent to her by Concubine Xi? Was it all a lie? He said, Im not going to be able to get a lot of money for this. Master ?????? In the end, she knelt down directly. No matter what, Chun Yue will always follow her master and will never betray. Silly girl. Xin Lan stroked Chun Yues hair, as if with relief and sadness. Chun Yue lifted her face, her eyes gentle and determined. As she looked at Xin Lans beautiful face, she could not help but feel in a trance. How beautiful she was. She should have been a Concubine, not a Empress. When she smiled, her soul was lost, and even a woman could not resist that beauty, which was much better than that of a princess. Rest well, my lady, Ill be in the outer room, if you need me. Go on. Xin Lan sat down on the bed and pulled the covers back. She had thought that even if there was a traitor beside the original master, it should not be Hehua, but she had been wrong. Was love really that powerful? It can make people lose their minds, betray their faith and abandon their beliefs. The concept of love is a strange one to Xin Lan. In the interstellar age, most marriages were genetically matched to ensure that the best offspring would be born. And of course, free love is supported. Xin Lan was an Alpha, and in the normal course of events, that is, if she hadnt died in the battle, she would have gone back to be genetically matched and have an Omega wife. The wife may be a male or a female. Male Alphas have the ability to impregnate people, female Alphas do not. They can absolutely subjugate their partner pheromone wise, and then let technology help give birth to their child through in vitro fertilization. In interstellar terms, although there are six genders, female Alpha are extremely rare, about a third of the number of male Alpha. However, Xin Lan was martyred in that battle. So naturally, she had little chance to feel what it was like to have a wife and children in a warm bed, and she had little inkling of what it was like to be in love. After all, she was too busy training and fighting to think about inconsequential things, and at her time it was rare for anyone to say the word love. Most people found their partner from a genetic match and married when they were sure, one could only have one partner and be faithful to each other. The first time in the world, Xin Lan was a villain and had no desire for a romantic relationship. Zero Nine: From my experience, love has the power to turn people into fools, is the host still planning to use her? Zero Nine finished eating the melon in the system space, heard the question in Xin Lans mind, and answered out loud. The system existed deep in the hosts mind, so when the host raised a question or sighed in his mind, they could hear it. Zero Nine has been working in the Face Slapping Department for quite a long time and has seen a lot of love affairs with her first two hosts, especially the first one, and when she saw the way the men were turned around by her hosts, she didnt know whether to feel sympathy or sorrow. Xin Lan: It depends. Xin Lan is now in need of servants, not that she doesnt want to give people a chance to correct themselves, its just that people with prior convictions cant be trusted, and if the young guy says a few words to make her dizzy, its all for nothing. When the original owner first entered the palace, she came across a grandmother abusing her, saying that she didnt work properly and stole food. Who wouldnt like such a maid? She has no ulterior motives and is dedicated to serving her master. After all, Xin Lans own strengths are at stake here. Her first predecessor had told her that being good-looking meant that she could do whatever she wanted, and Xin Lan was good-looking, but she didnt dare say that. She even hoped that people would value her strength over her looks. Asking Xin Lan to seduce a human ?????? Zero Nine winced as she thought again of the scene where Xin Lan had pinned the human skinned ghost to the ground and stomped on it, even tearing it apart with her hands. Its a little brutal, and the thought of having men join in is horrifying. Forget it, its better not to have such a famous scene. Xin Lan closed her eyes and stopped thinking about love. Chun Yue went out of the inner room, closed the door quietly, looked at Hehua who was still sitting there, and sighed. Sister Hehua, how could you be so foolish? Chunyue, speak up for me when you speak with master, I really havent done anything against master. Its the best if you didnt do it, but if you did, its more of a mistake. Do you think the master will believe that you didnt do anything, otherwise Consort Xi wouldnt have to spend this effort to set you up, even I dont believe it either. Chun Yue also felt the same chill, she did not expect that the person she worked with as her sister would do something like this. Hehua sat on the floor in a sullen state, wiping her tears from her eyes. At midnight, Xin Lan was woken up by Zero Nine. She opened her eyes and her expression was so gloomy that it looked like she wanted to eat someone. Xin Lan: Speak. She was restraining her temper. Zero Nine: Hehua has sneaked out of the house. She didnt want to wake up her host at all, but someone wasnt listening. With a deep breath, Xin Lan sat up from the bed and, not wearing a gown, which would have been too much trouble, went out in her lingerie to see what was going on. When she went out to look, the palace door was already ajar. Zero Nine: Arent you going after her? Xin Lan: What for? Lets see what shes doing and tell me when I wake up. Zero Nine: So what are you doing up? Xin Lan: I am afraid that if I dont cool off my anger, I wont be able to resist doing something. Zero Nine didnt say anything. It was useless to chase her out. If she wanted to see where she was going, why not just let Zero Nine keep an eye on her, it wasnt like there was something she had to do. When she woke up the next day, Zero Nine told her everything that had happened last night. She had gone out at midnight to look for her lover. However, the guards were always in the front palace and seldom came to the back palace, except for the necessary nightly patrols, and some were guarding the palace doors. The guard was so comforted that he said he hadnt listened to the whole thing, and there was a kissing and touching session in between. The guards did go to the palace of Consort Xi, after separating from Hehua, and left a jade pendant hanging on a tree in the palace of Consort Xi. The first time she saw it, she knew it was the work of Concubine Xi, but if it was true that Concubine Xi had only asked some unimportant questions, then there was no need to make such a fuss, there must be another purpose.This woman, Xin Lan can only be described as a calculating machine. In fact, Concubine Hei is not from a high origin, the daughter of a fifth-ranking official, than Concubine Man and Concubine Gui entered the palace earlier, in the emperors birthday banquet, surprised the audience with a song, the emperor included her in the harem, at the beginning of not a concubine. She was just a mistress, but she was pampered and rose to the position of concubine. In theory, if she was to be promoted to consort again, she would have to have a son, but she did not have a son, but she saved the day. That year, during the autumn hunt, an assassin pierced the emperor, concubine Xi blocked the knife, the emperor was moved, she was promoted to concubine. Although it seems logical, but a closer look, you can find the heart of the consort. The original owner was not happy with her, but she was not afraid, because she could see that the emperor was not happy with the Xin family, and even if the Xin family was in power, she believed that the Xin family would fall. She wants to be the emperors empress, but she is very tolerant, seemingly not involved in anything, in fact, everything has a little bit of her hand, pushing the waves, and then leaving herself out of the picture. The original owner said the old grudge with the concubine was not just the beginning of the relationship between the two as water and fire, but the concubine once mocked the empress, saying she was not worthy of the position, the words were subtle, insinuating, which the original owner could not tolerate, raised his hand and gave a slap, that is when the other concubines face, many palace people were watching, Concubine loved to save face, almost exhausted with anger, but couldnt do anything, in this way thoroughly hated on. Later the concubine also retaliated to the original, this retaliation is definitely in the way that the Emperor played a pillow talk, so that the Emperor gave the original face, but also intentionally removed her palace, and went to the concubine, and the concubine together with meals. Xin Lan said, if the original owner did not like the dog emperor, this kind of tricks can still hurt her? So how could such a concubine do nothing? Xin Lan finished her breakfast and looked at Hehua standing in front of her, brushing her hair out of her temples. Want to say it? Xin Lans face was light, and she put down the tea caldron in her hand. That girl, Chun Yue, was so thoughtful that when she packed up her things and came out, she brought out half a piece of teacake wrapped in a handkerchief. She wanted to give Xin Lan the best enjoyment she could, and she was happy enough if Xin Lan complimented her. Silly, Xin Lan thought. She still said nothing, the same thing she had said yesterday. Xin Lans eyes were downcast as the light shone in through the latticework, but unfortunately it was not well placed to shine brightly, and there was a lingering coldness in the room, like the name of the palace and its purpose. What did you do at midnight last night? Hehuas heart tightened and she fell to her knees without saying a word. How can I trust you when you are like this? Xin Lan sighed quietly, if she could still call herself this palace like the original, it would be more powerful. Chun Yue stood behind her and followed her line of sight to the patch of barren grass. The servant will start working on the grass later, and then we will see if we can get some flower seeds to make this a more comfortable place for us to live. She knelt on the ground without saying a word. Chun Yue stood behind her and followed her line of sight to the patch of barren grass. Theres no hurry, Chun Yue, dont be busy. Xin Lan thinks that now that they are in the clear, or in the gap where everyone else is concerned, when all the eyes on her are gone, it will be time for her to move. Soon, those people will have no time to care about her, because a new pawn is coming. It was just after midday when a visitor arrived at the cold palace. The visitor was a woman, with lines at the corners of her eyes, wearing a blue shirt with cloud patterns, followed by a maid. My good Lan, you have suffered. Although the gift of childbirth was important, it was the upbringing that showed the child who was the best. What they had not expected was that the Emperor had moved so quickly to abolish the Empress, giving them no time to even think of a way to save her, and now they had to send in a second daughter of the Xin family, her Laner was destined to be abandoned. Mother, youre here. Xin Lan looked at the lady in front of her, who was in tears, and greeted her, but she couldnt do anything to make herself cry with sadness. Madam Xin was even more upset when she looked like this, thinking that it was Xin Lan who could not even cry, so she was extremely upset. You are wronged in this matter, I know, but you also know that the emperor can no longer tolerate the Xin family. ?????? So what does Mother mean? Long Yi will come to the palace in a few days, you and she were close before ?????? The more Madam Xin said, the more she could not go on, and let out a sigh. To the Palace of Changqiu? En. My daughter knows. Laner, you ?????? Before Madam Xin could say a pair of words of comfort, they were blocked in her throat by Xin Lan. She looked at Xin Lan, who looked cold and bored, with mixed feelings in her heart. Dont worry, I wont make things difficult for Longer. If she comes to me, I will help her. You know that Longlong is young and inevitably has many things she doesnt understand. Xin Lan echoed, her heart not fluctuating. Xin Long was the original owners unrelated daughter. She was the eldest daughter of her eldest brother and was only twelve or thirteen years old today, not yet mature enough to be sent to this cannibalistic palace. Perhaps there is no love between children in politics, as the young girl has to enter the palace at such a young age, and her husband is not destined to give her the love she wants. Xin Lan thought of the explanation given to the young Empress in the sequel, that she was given a cup of poisoned wine in the palace because of the fall of the Xin family, when she was only fifteen years old. After a few pleasantries, Xin Lan came to her business. What! That Hehua girl? Shes a traitor! Madam Xin was obviously furious. She had chosen her daughters maid in the first place, and she had been with her daughter for eight years, but she had turned her elbow. I will take her back and dispose of her properly, do you know who shes turned to? Concubine Xi. What! The woman was furious, when Concubine Xi entered the palace, she was at odds with Xin Lan, and even if she had eaten her way out of the palace, she was still crawling to her old enemy. Mother, you take her away, and give me a good servant, preferably obedient, knowledgeable. All right, Ill ask your father to send you someone when I get out. The two of them were speechless for a while, and Madam Xin could not help sighing again as she looked around at the surroundings. She was born with an endless supply of wealth and glory, and should have been held in the palm of her hand. Here is some silver, take it and tell Mother if you need anything else. Okay. Xin Lan nodded, and Chun Yue went forward and took the fragrant bag with the silver in it. Madam Xin had nothing to explain, she had originally wanted to comfort Xin Lan, but found that Xin Lan was very calm and thought through everything, and did not need her to say anything more. The purpose of both Madam Xin and Xin Lan had been achieved, and Madam Xin could not stay in the palace for long, so she left in a hurry, taking Hehua with her before leaving. On the table was a food box that she had brought with her. Chun Yue opened it, the first two layers contained delicate meals, the third layer contained some cakes and pastries, and Chun Yue opened the bottom layer, which contained some silver notes and scrap silver, as well as bracelets and earrings, a complete package. Xin Lan told Chun Yue to put it away, and her sighs dissipated in the wind. She saw a little bit of her mother in Madam Xin, and only a little. Xin Lans other mother was also a female Alpha, and Xin Lans bloodline also had this gene in it, but Xin Lan never saw that person again when she was five years old, she died in a foreign war. She was given a very good pension by the state, and Xin Lan grew up with excellent grades and was given a scholarship all the way through the war, hardly causing any trouble for her family except for buying mecha parts. Its true that she hadnt thought of staying there to be with her mother, but it was already five years after the war when she was able to get the points to go back. Her name was recorded in the history of the empires generals, and the books made the most of the tragedy of the war. How would her mother cope with her absence? With this in mind, she flew home, but did not see anyone who should be here. It was only after checking with the system that she found out that her mother had married two years ago. Xin Lan went to see her mother in hiding and found that she was doing well, with a new life, a new family and new children of her own. She must not appear in the light of day, and as her mother has her own home and has long since accepted her death, she watches for the rest of the afternoon and turns away. With Hehua gone, only Xin Lan and Chun Yue were left in the palace. She didnt like to talk when she was not in trouble, and even though she wanted to talk to Xin Lan, she didnt know what to say, for it would be a sad thing to mention. The masters mind is impenetrable, so Chun Yue doesnt make a fool of herself, but just follows along all day and does some needlework by herself. Xin Lan was too bored to do anything else, so she watched TV with Zero Nine. This time, Zero Nine was watching a hilarious drama, and seemed to be having fun as a retard in the system space. Madam Xin moved quickly, and on the third day a maid arrived. The maid had a round face and a simple, easy-to-please look, and when she looked at Xin Lan, she had an innocent look. But when she opened her mouth, her manner was not as steady as her appearance. Slave servant Si Tong, greetings to your master. How did you get here? I broke one of Madam Zhaos porcelain calendars and was transferred here by the House of Internal Affairs. Si Tong said it without panic, and gave Xin Lan a somewhat innocent smile. Xin Lan nodded in satisfaction and hid the light in her eyes as she turned around. Soon, there would be a lot of fun to be had. CH 28 The Power of the Court: Just a Hand to Cover the Sky (Arch 2) The matter of the change of maids in Xin Lans palace, anyone who has the heart to inquire will know who has been changed. The consort sat in the palace with a sullen face, touched the ring on her hand, and was suddenly relieved. Anyway, Xin Lan has been abolished, the maid also has no value to exploit. She looked at her still young and beautiful face in the mirror and smiled with satisfaction. Your Majesty, I heard that the one at the Lotus Palace is very pleased with herself. The servant girl whispered as she peeled the lotus seeds for her. Let her have her way, stupid woman. Concubine Xi said with little concern, crushing the lotus seeds in her mouth, but furrowing her brow. The maidservant hastened to bring her a handkerchief to spit out the contents of her mouth, and then a tea pot to rinse her mouth. Some people, like this lotus seed, look round and full, but bite down on it and it tastes bitter, so people cant swallow it and have to spit it out. The corners of Concubine Xis mouth curled up in a smile and she put down the tea caldron in her hand. Lan Yi, we cant be the ones to spit it out. Master is right, do you still want to eat this lotus seed? Yes, why not. Alright. Concubine Xi chewed on the lotus seeds, the smile between her eyebrows never came down. As far as she was concerned, all the other women in the palace were, after all, marinated filth that would be spat out, except for her. It was not only this family that was happy, there were many who were overjoyed at the downfall of the Empress. Congratulations, Your Highness. This is a freshly prepared snack from the imperial kitchen. Concubine Xi picked up the spoon and took a sip, nodding her head in satisfaction. Good, go and enjoy. Yes. She had changed into a long, light red dress of golden silk embroidery. She had never imagined that Xin Lan had been killed in this way, and although she did not know who had done it, it was only a few people. She had no doubt that Xin Lan would seek her own death, but thanks to the child who was never born, it would have been a long time coming. Concubine Xi took a sip of the soup and felt the sweetness reach the bottom of her heart. Soon, she would be sitting in that seat, the one she had longed for. She was only two or three years behind Xin Lan, and with her status, she could also be the mother of the world, so why should that position be hers? Guifei touched the phoenix seal resting on her desk and ran her fingertips over it. The other women did not even think about it, it could only be hers. Xin Lan ignored the dreams of the others and went about her business in her own cold palace. Although Si Tong had been sent by the Xin family, it was still essential to test whether she was usable. Xin Lan will have to do something different in the future, and she will need someone who is smart and bold enough to keep secrets. Xin Lan was very frank in her questioning, saying that she was useless and had no power or influence, and that there was nothing to be gained from being with her, and that Si Tong could leave at any time if she wanted to. Si Tong was naturally overwhelmed with fear and said that the Xin family had been kind to her, helping her father who was seriously ill and burying her mother, and that she would never forget this kindness and would be loyal to the Xin family and would not have any other thoughts. Loyalty to the Xin family, or loyalty to me, Xin Lan? Xin Lan was facing Si Tong, who was more than half a head taller than her, looking down at her with an intimidating presence. Si Tong hesitated for a moment, but did not give an answer. I dont want you to answer now, youd better think it over before you tell me the answer. The corners of Xin Lans mouth lifted gently, her tone as gentle as a spring breeze in March, but it sent a shiver down ones spine. Si Tong looked at Xin Lans eyes and understood her unspoken words. The master had given her a choice. Serving the Xin family and serving the master were two different concepts, which meant that the master had cut herself off from the Xin family. Si Tong did not understand why, even though the master was now a nullified queen, she might not go out, after all, the Xin familys power was still there. But after a few days, she understood. The news of the emperors upcoming wedding spread throughout the harem, the palace began to be repainted, and the House of Internal Affairs became busy, knowing that the palace, which had not been empty for a few days, was about to welcome a new master. Si Tong tossed and turned in her bed, torn between her sanity and her intuition. She knew that the master she was now following was an abandoned child, but her instincts told her that things were not so simple as to be over. If the person she was looking at now was going to spend her life alone and lonely in a cold palace, she would not believe it. Some people could sense that she was unusual just by judging her temperament, and Si Tong was sensitive to the fact that Xin Lan must have her own intentions in asking. These were perhaps two different options, and Si Tong did not hesitate long in arriving at her answer. Si Tong is willing to follow her master for the rest of her life. Xin Lan nodded and leaned in close to meet those brown eyes. Sitong stood rigidly, resisting the urge to shrink. The moment they looked at each other, they felt as if they were being watched by some terrible beast, too scared to move, lest they be torn to pieces the next moment. It was an extremely dangerous feeling of wanting to flee. Si Tong did not know how a woman could be so terrifying, but it also made her even more certain that she had made the right choice. Such a master could not be a mere abandoned child, wasting her life in a cold palace where the grass was overgrown. The Chintan Supervisor calculated that the appropriate date for the marriage would be in a little more than half a month. The reaction of the palace was mixed when they learned that His Majesty was about to marry the new Empress. Consort Xi almost gritted her teeth and smashed something in anger. Dont be angry, Your Highness, it would be bad if your anger damaged your health. The servant girl dodged the wreckage in the middle and spoke soothingly. How can I not be angry, thanks to my body ??????. The first time a woman is in the middle of a mess, shes not going to be able to get out of it. So she saw it coming, no wonder she said that the other day, no wonder ?????? I thought I thought she was just resigned to it. Guifei murmured, clutching at the corners of her dress. She thought that she had been handed over the Phoenix Seal, that no one in the palace was more dignified than her, that the Emperor had stayed in her palace for two days in a row, and that she would be able to do so, but instead she heard the news, which was like a blow to the head. Guifei gradually calmed down, but the resentment in her heart grew stronger and stronger. The Xin family! Do you know who is coming? Guifei asked. It is said to be the daughter of the one going down. Daughter? Stunned, the Concubine paced the hall. Where did she come from? Have you forgotten, my lady? The daughter of her elder brother. Guifei pressed her forehead and shook her head, unable to remember. I have inquired, she seems to be only twelve years old, a little girl. How dare a little girl come in here? How dare she come in here? Shes not afraid of losing her life by sitting in that position! Is the Xin family crazy to send a twelve year old girl who is not even full-grown, who doesnt know anything and cant even compete for favour? Who knows what they think. The maidservant echoed in a whisper. Guifei took a few more steps back and forth in the hall, squeezing the phoenix seal in her hand and spreading it out again, looking at it with reluctance. If only This Palace could conceive a dragon son. She covered her small stomach. She murmured. Sooner or later, my master, there will be no hurry. Ive been in the palace for more than two years, but why cant I get pregnant? Dont be anxious, my master, think about it, no one else is pregnant either, the one who has gone down has not been able to conceive one for four or five years, not to mention that there are so many beauties in the palace, including those who have been favoured before, but none of them are pregnant, you are the most honoured, why are you anxious? Thats true. Guifei settled down and sat down on a chair. The servant girl brought her a cup of cold tea to cool her down. Sometimes she thought that it was not her own problem, nor that of the women, but that of the One. After all, in the past four or five years, there have been so many beauties in the palace before and after the ascension to the throne, so how could there be no one pregnant? However, that speculation was too appalling, and if it was true, then there was no way to stop thinking about it, but Lady Liu had a child, and His Majesty was so happy that he would always let her have a child between beds, but it just so happened that she ?????? It s not just her that has this idea, many people have had it, not only in the harem, but also in the court, including Xin Lan In fact, Xin Lan also assumed that the emperor was infertile, but she didnt think that was the case. Anyway, once she met him in person, she could have Zero Nine give him a full body check-up and find out whether he was infertile or had pyometra, although it was unlikely he had pyometra. However, she was confined to the cold palace and could not go out to see the Emperor unless he remembered something and wanted to see her as his ex-wife, but judging from the level of scum he was, he probably would not even set foot in the cold palace. During the half-month waiting for the new empress to enter the palace, several visitors arrived at Xin Lans cold palace. The first visitor was Consort Gui, who had come to see off Xin Lan on the day she left. Xin Lan, is it hard? Look at you, you have lived half your life, and what have you gotten? Gui Fei said with an air of compassion, finding a chair and sitting down with an expression of disgust at the lack of softness of the chair. Are you not more than I am? Im afraid youve been holding the phoenix seal for a few days, how does it feel to have nothing to enjoy? Xin Lans sarcastic response was not slow, and her ability to use a blunt knife to slowly rub people down was not bad compared to the violent and direct strikes. You! Having been poked in the gut, Guifeis face changed slightly. The original master and other concubines were already very stable when they were seventeen, but after two years in the palace, the Concubine still seemed to be so prone to emotional outbursts, and was a bit rambunctious, giving people the impression that she had big breasts and no brain, even though her breasts were not big. Its better than being a useless pawn now, waiting to die here alone! This was the most frightening ending for a woman in the harem, to lose her favour and be left alone in the palace, waiting for the day when she would be old and pearly. Xin Lan only smiled and did not answer. The women in the harem were afraid of losing their favour, or rather, not only the women in the harem, but they only put their self-worth in the hands of men. But the great Alpha is not afraid of this, how can the realisation of her own value be embodied in someone elses body. The sight of her was disgusting to Her Highness. How could this person smile so calmly at this point? Did she know what she was about to face? If she were on her own, she would not be convinced. Why should she be used up and thrown away, why should she be treated like this? Guifei had come to see how miserable Xin Lan had become, but she looked full of energy and even more beautiful than before, not wearing her gorgeous clothes, but with an even greater aura. It seemed that even in front of her, even in her gorgeous clothes, she was still the same as the concubine who had met the empress in the first place. You said to me the other day that it was you who had won, but do you still think you have won? Compared to you, I won! Oh? What have you won? I won over you ?????? Beat me? How have we ever played the game? If we have not played, how can we win or lose? Why not, you dont know how the palace ?????? works. Its a good thing everyone knows this, what does it look like to shout it out? You know you want that position? But Ive never had you in my sights. Xin Lan sniggered and said his last words slowly and mockingly. How dare you! Who gave you permission to say such a thing in front of this palace, you are being disrespectful! Ah Xiu! Slap her! Gui Fei didnt expect Xin Lan to dare to mock her, she had degenerated to such a state and she still dared to speak out. Yes. The slave girl called Ah Xiu stepped forward and raised her hand to hit Xin Lan. Chun Yue and Si Tong hurriedly stepped forward, one blocking and the other pulling, rendering Ah Xiu immobile. Xin Lan bypassed them and went in front of Consort Gui Lan, raising her hand in a gesture to strike. She closed her eyes reflexively and did not try to hide. But she opened her eyes immediately in annoyance and heard Xin Lans soft laugh, and the anger surged even further. What? Waiting for me to hit you? Dont you dare! Since youre waiting for me, Im not afraid to do so, why not? Xin Lan kicked her to the ground as soon as she finished speaking, holding her arms low and asking in return. Guifei had never been hit like that before and was dumbfounded by the kick. The pain in her abdomen brought her back to her senses, and a footprint was clearly visible on her expensive and delicate dress. Ah Xiu quickly broke away from the person who was pulling her down and picked her up, patting the dust from her body. How dare you disrespect Her Highness! Ah Xiu scolded her, but Xin Lan gave her a faint look. Your Highness comes to my Yuegong Palace to have a chat with me, so why dont you allow me, the master, at least, not to welcome you? Since we cant have a good time, we have no choice but to do it this way. What? Does Your Highness want to go out and make a big announcement that youve been bullied by me, the Empress in the cold palace? Thats really not good, is it? Xin Lan said with a smile, as if she was talking about something funny. She wanted to hit back, but she was afraid that this person would be so mad that she would not care if she accidentally hurt her face. She could only throw up her sleeves and left in a huff. Xin Lan looked at her back, her smile fading. In fact, this person has some eyesight. What is the meaning of this, my lady? Si Tong asked curiously, this Consort looked like a paper tiger, how could she be considered to have eyesight? She knows that if she doesnt leave, I wont have any mercy on her, so I wont just kick her, Ill slap her, and shell really lose face. It wasnt so silly, but Xin Lan had no intention of actually slapping anyone, as the marks were too obvious, and in case she brought a bunch of people with her, she just wanted to keep a low profile for now. But if you continue to be ungrateful, there are plenty of ways to make people hurt without leaving a mark, something that the delicate Consort would not want to taste. Xin Lan is not afraid that Gui Fei will come back for revenge, she would not dare to bring her people here in a grand manner, after all, she has fallen into ruin, but the Xin family has not, and Gui Fei would not dare to discipline her in such a disreputable manner. Chun Yue, who has been with her master for a long time, only feels that her masters temperament has changed and she has become more powerful. Chun Yue thinks its a good thing that her master has become more powerful so that she wont be mistreated, but she feels discontent when she sees how high and mighty the concubine is, but theres nothing she can do as a maid. Si Tong didnt feel any different, she just felt that her master was so strong that she had taken advantage of Concubines temperament and felt relieved. Xin Lan sat back in her seat with a calm demeanour, not showing any sign of the hostility that had suddenly struck her. In fact, this Consort is very similar to the original owner. The resemblance was not so much in character as in origin. However, the difference is that the Xin family has been powerful since the time of the previous emperor and has deep roots, while Guifeis family was also powerful during the time of the previous emperor, as a result of the family having produced a favourite concubine during the time of the previous emperor, but it was not very powerful at that time, and was promoted by the emperor after his accession to the throne in order to counterbalance the Xin family, but it was still not good enough compared to the Xin family, although it was good enough to overlook all the people in the harem. Her father, a first-ranking senior minister, is now a member of the Emperors inner circle, her brother-in-law is the leader of the Vanguard Battalion, and her sister is married to the legitimate son of the Right Minister. The Emperor, though a scumbag, is no fool, and is well versed in the ways of the harem as a means of restraining the previous dynasty. After the departure of Gui Fei, Xin Lan does not have long to relax when a new visitor arrives in the courtyard. When she looked at Xin Lan, her almond eyes were misted with water, and she had the impression that she might be pitiful and to be cherished. Xin Lan did not have any pity for her, but her nemesis No. 3 was here, and when combined with her previous behaviour, there was no doubt in her mind. For the sake of memory, Xin Lan has also given nicknames to several important characters this time around. The arch-nemeses, number one, two and three, are Concubine Xi with a hidden smile, Concubine Qing with a lofty stance and Consort Man with a black heart and a white lotus. Concubine Xi can endure, if you slap her, she does not fight back and smiles, then turns around and then strikes. However, if you cant do it alone, you can do it in a group. She was different. Before the slap hit her face, she started crying and complaining. I cant believe you didnt even have a cup of tea when you came here, is this how you treat your guests? The words that came out of the beautys soft voice were not pleasant. If you want tea, why dont you go back to your Yunxi Palace and drink enough? How can this be? I came here to see you, but dont you want to welcome me? Consort Man sat down on a chair, her arm resting on the armrest, her sleeve slipping down to reveal her small arms, which were as delicate as lotus roots, and the blood jade bracelet on them, which stood out from the rest. Xin Lan thought for a moment that this seemed to be a bracelet that the original owner had wanted and had asked the House of Internal Affairs to send it to her, but unfortunately the original owner had been disowned before it was sent to her. Now this bracelet was on Consort Mans hand, so the meaning was self-evident. Although this Biyue Palace is desolate, it is clean, but once sister arrived, it is no longer quiet here, and there is a foul scent, sister, it is really difficult to be welcomed. Xin Lan covered her mouth and nose, as if she was being suffocated. In fact, it wasnt that much of an exaggeration. Consort Manns body smelled very fragrant, but it wasnt very choking either. Hearing this, Consort Man did not get upset, she just picked up her embroidered handkerchief and had a sniff, sighing quietly. This fragrance is a wonderful scent that has just been brought in, but its a pity that you cant enjoy it anymore, its really heartbreaking. She looks like shes crying, but the interest in her eyes is something else. Its a pity that youre not an actress, if you were, youd be the best in the capital and astonish the world. Xin Lan said in a rather regretful tone. How dare you compare me to an actress? Im just saying. Xin Lan lifted it high and lowered it gently, causing Consort Man to frown slightly. There was something different about this person. Perhaps she was stimulated by the coldness of the palace, but she was not so bold as to say such things before. But Xin Lan really felt that there were many talented women in this harem, not only were their acting skills superb, but they were also well versed at the art of making insinuations and accusations hidden in their words. You dont seem to know whats going on, do you? My sister is not well-informed, for the Empress Dowager has only just left my palace and has come to tell me of His Majestys forthcoming wedding. Consort Man hid the look in her eyes, she had not met her when she arrived, she thought she was the first, but she had not expected to see an earlier visitor, how thoughtful. The mere thought of your daughter sleeping in the same bed you once slept in with His Majesty makes my heart ache, even though it is my sisters own fault that I have to suffer in this decrepit palace. The words were so unpleasant, but Consort Man still looked sincere. Do you know what crocodiles tears are? Xin Lan looked at the way Consort Man was dabbing the corners of her eyes with her embroidered handkerchief and asked in a rather amused manner. Ive never heard of it, tell me about it? Consort Man asked. This is a common saying from outside the country. The crocodile is a fierce beast that lives in the water, and every time it looks at its prey, it sheds tears and then swallows them up, sister, do you think this beast is a hypocrite? As soon as Xin Lans words left her mouth, Consort Mann squeezed her embroidered handkerchief for a moment, realising what she meant. But I dont have anything else to worry about, sister. Im here today to see how youre doing, nothing else. Id like you to repent and pray for the child in Lady Lius womb, so that he can be reborn into a good family in the next life, so that when you go to hell, the King of Heaven will remember your heart and spare you the sin of falling into the path of animals. Consort Man sighed quietly. This person has a sharp tongue. Xin Lan had just used the word crocodile to say something, and then Consort Man turned around and brought up the animal. I dont need to bother you, my sister, because people are doing what they are doing and Heaven is watching, and good and evil will be rewarded in the end. Of course its good that you have this awareness, sister. But some people dont even have this awareness, dont you think? Consort Man stood up from her chair, covered her lips with her handkerchief and nodded in agreement. She left with the same fragrant breeze as she had come, and Chun Yue closed the door after she left, grimacing. I thought Your Highness words were already very unflattering, but I didnt think that Her Highness words would be even worse; shes so prickly, cant she speak properly? Si Tong rolled her eyes and muttered in a low voice. You dont know, in the past, the Consort Man was even more excessive, that look is really ?????? Chun Yue shivered, as if recalling some bad scenes. Right, Master, why dont we lock the door and keep the visitors away, so they dont bother you again? No, lets leave it as it is, I dont think anyone will come. This cold palace will probably never be visited again. Gui Fei only wants to provoke, Consort Man is here to watch the fun, and Consort Xi, who is hiding most deeply, will probably not come. This woman is so cautious that even if her nemesis is down, she wont come to see her in a sorry state to make her heart happy. Compared to the likes of Gui Fei, who likes to check herself, Consort Xi is probably the kind of person who sits in the palace and waits for her lackeys to tell her whats going on outside. Xin Lan sat on a chair, Chun Yue made a fresh cup of tea for her, and Si Tong was shaking her fan. Zero Nine: Host, the results of the scan are out. Xin Lan: Speak. Zero Nine: Both Guifei and Consort Man have no problems with fertility, and there are no major problems, but Guifei is a normal human being and Consort Man is not. Xin Lan became interested and asked her what was going on. Zero Nine: There is a flow of qi in Concubine Mans meridians, probably the internal energy in the world of martial arts, but there is only a trace of it, and more importantly, there is a poison in the incense bag she carries. Its a poison that makes peoples nerves slow down. Xin Lan was a bit surprised to learn that there was no such information about Consort Man in the original owners memory, and only the Emperors story was explained in the subsequent plot, so she did not know what would happen to Consort Man. Xin Lan recalled the background of Consort Man, who was not a native of Wu but a Princess of a neighbouring country. When the new Emperor ascended to the throne, it coincided with the time when the General of Zhen Yuans army had defeated the enemy, so the neighbouring country asked for a marriage in order to form an eternal friendship, and that is how Consort Man was sent to them. She was given the name Man not only because of the word Man in her name, but also because of her extraordinary dance moves and her slender figure. The Emperor was delighted to accept her and pampered her for a long time. Little did he know that this princess from a foreign land had some unknown skills. The nerve-wracking incense pouch is intriguing. mãǎ Œmٴλ֏֮ǰģӣ@mҲԵ䘷 ǂ]ʲN˼ģԼᘾ˼ͮÓ䌍߀DZ^صģԼ֮ǰIԒ␞żһ𿴣Еr߀һČm顣 ԭǻ߅mŮҊöҲö࣬mƒҲ֪٣fֻfȤ¡˼ͮm]һ꣬°MˣЩfİҲ{@ڌmӛ߀Ǻģ˼ͮһfʲNƒƺ֦^BQǽֽβСƒʮȤɂѾ^ĵõʮͶC Xin Lan watched the drama with Zero Nine for fun and was in a good mood. At dinner time, the third visitor of the past few days arrived at the Biyue Palace. With the words who could it be on her lips, Si Tong ran to open the door and two figures entered the palace. Sister, Ive come to see you. She was looking at the humble meal on the table, and her eyes were watery, so she hurriedly asked the girl next to her to bring the food box over. Dont eat this, Ive brought you the evening meal, eat this. Chunyue brought out the contents of the food box, and the aroma immediately filled the palace. White cut chicken, eight treasure dumplings and slippery shrimps, all exquisite. Youve been so kind. Xin Lan thanked her. ԓǰվ́???ģֻ^ԼГuˣһֱ]ҁҲ֋΢pҲ܌ͲʲNæ Ů؟혿ڵĺs̰lFĿڣMPС @fԒǰ߀˶ңFځ]eڌmҲ֔С΢韩ҲeԷQˣҲǸ߸ϵĻˣҪDzӗۂԽQͿԡ уxӡ߀Ǻܺõģ͑{@r߀oԭ͜ůˡ ԭPԭmуxҲ^һ׌ԭ˺ܶ࣬a@m@NãҲ؏ص׵׵ʧ ӗ㣬Ķ飬һֱӛǼ¶Ȼǽģֻ?????? Only there would be no more chances. Never mind that. Have you had your dinner? I dare not stay long. I have some of my personal money here, take it and keep it for your own use. No, you dont have much money, so keep it with you. Xin Lan tucked the purse back into Ru Zhaoyis hand and shook her head. Keep it, sister. You know, this palace is a place where people look down on each other, and there will be a lot of trouble in the future. My mother has brought me some. I am not too miserable even though I am like this, I have a sense of propriety, I appreciate your feelings. Xin Lan shook her head, she was not short of money for the time being, and Ru Zhaoyis family was not rich either, her father was a honest and upright official, and she was the most modestly dressed of all the concubines of her rank. Well, then, Ill leave now and come back to see you again sometime. Good. Ru Zhaoyi and the two servants came and went in a hurry, and the door of the Biyue Palace was quietly closed. Ru Zhaoyis father was an official of the imperial court, in the beginning was also valued by the emperor, so she had a good time, but the officials were originally in a dangerous position, if the monarch was not happy, it was useless to try to admonish. Because of a decree, Ru Zhaoyis father and the emperor confrontation, is felt that this is not right, the emperor is also determined to be that way, naturally will not listen to the subjects, so there is a gap between the ruler and his subjects, even Ru Zhaoyi that child, that the emperor has not set foot for two or three months. The harem is actually a very realistic place, where the wind blows where it is favoured. When Zhaoyi loses her power, she will inevitably be rectified and ridiculed by those who dont like her, as the original owner saw at that time, and was told by Zhaoyi to watch out for some people and stay away from them by name. Later, Ru Zhaoyis father was ordered to be imprisoned by the emperor for another incident, but Ru Zhaoyi was worried about her father and did not know what to do, so she went to the original owner and pleaded with her, who of course could not release him, but could find out what was going on in the prison, send someone to take care of him, and finally arrange for father and daughter to meet secretly, for which Ru Zhaoyi was very grateful. However, when she was about to become a member of the Empress faction, the original owner stopped her and told her not to get involved. The original owners words to her on that day turned out to be true, and the story really did come to pass. Although Xin Lan was not short of money for the time being, she did not spend the money for the sake of her mouth and tongue. Therefore, apart from the food brought by Madam Xin on the day she arrived, Xin Lans three meals were the standard cold palace fare of vegetables and bean curd and beans, which were extremely miserable, and every time Chun Yue ate, she felt that she had wronged Xin Lan, but Xin Lan felt that there was nothing to say when the situation in the battle was extremely bad. After eating the meal brought by Ru Zhaoyi, Xin Lan stood for a while and then took a bath and lay down on the bed. There were many mosquitoes at night and the cold palace was not equipped to repel them, but Xin Lan still had Zero Nine. Although there was no way for the system to interfere too much with the mission world, it could still help out where necessary, particularly if it was a small but comforting favour. Xin Lan pulled out a powerful mosquito repellent spray and sprayed it on the side of the bed to keep the mosquitoes at bay for the night, then returned it to Zero Nine. Zero Nine took the spray back into the storage box, there were some other things in the box besides the spray, Zero Nine also prepared a snack cabinet, if Xin Lan allowed her to eat when watching the sandplay, then she could eat happily, and the snacks could also be shared with Xin Lan, the rubbish and so on could then be put into the system space. Both she and the host are just conscious bodies entering, and her dimension is a kind of mimicry, existing in another connected dimension. Zero Nine: Chomp, chomp, chomp, chomp, chomp, chomp, chomp, chomp, chomp, chomp, chomp. Zero Nine: Do you think we should buy a fridge to put in next time, so that the coke can still be cold, or do you want to put in some cooked food, such as chicken wings and duck necks? Xin Lan: Maybe you can even buy a soup pot to make soup? Zero Nine: Yes, yes, that would work too! Xin Lan: You could just put a kitchen in there and cook your own food, you could even fry your own chicken. Zero Nine: Can I do that, host? Zero Nines voice was full of hope and she stood up with excitement. Xin Lan: Dreaming is fine. Zero Nine: You are such a good person. Xin Lan: Do you know how to cook? Zero Nine: No, but I can learn, and I can fry chicken! Xin Lan pondered for a while and calculated her balance. Xin Lan: How much space do you have in your system, kid? Zero Nine: Eight square metres. The standard system space is about the size of a room. The system bought an HDTV to watch TV, a carpet, a small yellow chicken pillow, a cot and a snack box next to it. Xin Lan: Think about it, the fridge needs space, the kitchen needs space, we need to be more elegant too, how many energy points do you need? Zero Nine: Let me calculate, according to the current market price, it costs about one million energy points. For a mission, the best level of energy points is 100,000, and for a hellish challenge, its 205,000 energy points. Xin Lan thought about her savings and was absolutely fine. Xin Lan: Yes. Zero Nine: I love you, I love you, I love you, I love you! Ill give you fried chicken every day from now on! Xin Lan: Shut up, Im going to sleep. Zero Nine closed her mike for one second. As Xin Lan lay in bed, she thought that the system was quite adorable. Perhaps the joy of the system was so profound that Xin Lan had a dream at night. She was sitting in a cold room wearing a lapel gown and eating a steak that had been fried by Zero Nine. But that would be after the mission was over, not yet. As the summer solstice was approaching and the summer heat was approaching, a grand wedding was to take place as scheduled. T/N: Your Highness F (gufi): senior concubine / imperial consort, this includes (ningniang): imperial concubine After this is something more that i didnt know how to fit in a readable sentence. ֦~ (jnzhyy):golden branch, jade leaves (idiom); fig. blue-blooded nobility, esp. imperial kinsmen or peerless beauty Daughter: ok so, I mentioned this in the previous chapter I think, I dont really know if its her biological daughter or someone she adopted or was adopted in her name. (It turns out its her brothers daughter, so probably she was adopted by Xin lan) Origin family background / class origin hidden smile Цeص (xiolcngdo): lit. a dagger hidden in smiles (idiom); friendly manners belying hypocritical intentions / when the fox preaches, look to the geese making insinuations ɳӰ(hnshshyng);to attack someone by innuendo (idiom) / to make oblique charges / to make insinuations / to insinuate and accusations hidden ָɣR (zhsngmhui): lit. to point at the mulberry tree and curse the locust tree / fig. to scold sb indirectly / to make oblique accusations (idiom) own fault (zzuzshu): to reap what one has sown (idiom) / to stew in ones own juice Man : (mn): handsome / large / long, in this case i suppose it refers to the handsome meaning of the characte CH 29 Chapter 29 The Power of the Court: Just a Hand to Cover the Sky (Arc 2) The Palace is decorated throughout with colourful lights and decorations and is full of joy. Only the Palace of the Moon had lived up to its name as a cold palace, and nothing had changed. But the three of them didnt care, and Si Tong was pleased that, after all, their meals were better because of the new Empress. Xin Lan told the two maids to stay in the palace, while she put on her palace maids clothes and went out quietly. Si Tong was curious but did not ask, and after Xin Lan had left, she sat next to Chun Yue who was working on her needlework. Sister Chun Yue, are you making shoes for the Master? No, Im making them for you. Me? Si Tong pointed at herself in surprise. You were complaining about your shoes being worn out a couple of days ago, so I thought Id make you a pair since I was free anyway, and I happen to be making the soles of your new pair of shoes. Sister Chun Yue is so generous, said Si Tong, smiling, lying on Chun Yues back, but where is the Master going? The Master must have her own meaning, she will naturally tell us if she wants to. Arent you curious at all? In all the years Ive been in the palace, I have not learned much about other truths, but one thing is clear: never be curious in a way you shouldnt be. Chun Yues expression was light as she worked on the soles of her shoes. Si Tong nodded, sat beside her and began to read a book. Xin Lan walked along the trail, the palace was too busy for anyone to care about her. Xin Lan followed the busy palace staff into the Changqiu Palace, keeping her head down and pretending as if she was busy fetching something. She had come at the right time, the sealing ceremony was now over and the Emperor and Empress would be here shortly. As the eunuchs squeaky voice sounded, the palace staff stopped what they were doing and stood respectfully on either side of the road. Xin Lan bent her head down in the crowd and watched a bright yellow colour pass by her eyes. Zero Nine: The scan was successful, the data has been collected and is being analysed. Xin Lan smiled and hooked the corners of her lips slightly. The palace staff immediately dispersed after the Masters went in and went back to work on their affairs, while Xin Lan also took the opportunity to leave Changqiu Palace and return to the Palace of the Moon by taking the side road. It may not seem like it took long, but the palace was so big that it had taken a considerable amount of time to get there and back. When Xin Lan closed the door of the Palace of the Moon, Chun Yue and Si Tong hurriedly put down the things they were holding and came up to welcome her. She went to her room and changed out of her palace maids clothes, and Si Tong took them, while Chun Yue took her clothes in her hand and handed them over for her to put on. Chun Yue, what do you think, will that niece of mine come to see me? Im sure she will. I think so, Longer is so simple minded that she will listen to my words. Xin Lan untied the beaded hairpin from her head and made her hair loose in a bun, her head full of beautiful silky hair like a waterfall, which made her skin more and more white, and the look in her eyes more and more profound. Zero Nine: Host, the analysis results are out, the emperors sperm is not of very good quality. It is possible that he has taken some suppressive drugs before, but he is slowly recovering. Its a surprise to see that the emperor is not only ruthless to other people but also to himself. The original owner was not able to conceive a child, even though she had been given a medicine that was so concealed that her pulse would not have revealed it, so she had checked herself and found nothing wrong with her. In order to not let other people get pregnant and let the child be held by the original owner, he actually ruthlessly gave himself a suppressing drug, so that he could not let others get impregnated for the time being, and he was not afraid that the drug was so strong that he would really become sterile. So it really is true that concubine Liu was just conceived, and according to human psychology, after taking that kind of medicine and now trying to recover, so it couldnt have been the Emperor who did it, the tigers poison doesnt yet eat the child. So the Emperors happiness at that moment was not feigned, nor was his anger at learning that Concubine Liu had had a miscarriage, but it had just calmed down, probably because he felt that it was better to be without a child rather than to have an extra safeguard for the Xin family. Just this mastermind behind the curtain, did he know or did he not know? But someone with that kind of personality probably wouldnt let go of the person who had murdered his own child, and would only pretend not to know for the time being and then investigate, and even if they did, they wouldnt do anything about it unless that person had no more use left and would then be ruthlessly tortured or abandoned, just like the original owner, probably. Such a person is really annoying enough. Although the whole palace was decorated with lights, there were few people who were cheerful. After nightfall, all the hustle and bustle returned to silence. In a rare move, Xin Lan did not go to bed as soon as she could, but waited for darkness to fall. At midnight, the entire palace fell into dead silence, with only the cicadas chirping now and then under the moonlight. Xin Lan climbed out of the window and landed lightly on the ground without making a single sound. She arrived at the palace wall of the Palace of the Moon, and beneath her feet there was a mass of wild grass. Xin Lan boosted her qi and with a little leap on her toes, she easily leapt to a great enough height, grabbed the wall with her hands and lightly jumped to the top. The movement was completed in a fluid manner, just a split of an instant. That feels good. Xin Lan swayed her legs, her shadow clear in the moonlight. Each mission world has a limitation of power, but this limitation of power also depends on the situation, originally Xin Lan thought that this was only a Palace mission, even if she had to fight someone, she could only rely on her own hands, but she did not expect that there were actually people here who knew wushu, even if there was only a little bit of internal power in Concubine Mans body, that was still there, so naturally she could also apply to enhance her own ability, Zero Nine had already submitted the the application, and it was passed during the day. Of course the internal strength she can have is not much, but it is the peak that this mission world can bear, that is to say, the kind of Concubine Man, it is no problem to fight ten. It was not good to be seen climbing the wall in the middle of the night, so Xin Lan stayed for a while and came down from above. Nothing gives Xin Lan a greater sense of security than force value. Used to the powerful qualities that come with her natural genes, no one knew how uncomfortable she felt when she first crossed over to the soft, ancient human. It was as though her armour had been stripped away to reveal her soft inner self, and that was a bad feeling. Xin Lan remembered that she had once crossed over into the body of a very sick person, a sick and beautiful person who could not move and vomited blood, and spent most of her time on her bed, vomiting blood while giving the protagonist a hard time. That mission, even after all this time, she cant quite remember what it was about or what she did, but the feeling of being so weak and feeble that even the slightest wind chill can make her critically ill is like a shadow over the top, making it too much for a born warrior to take. So even in a world where she didnt have to use force powers, she still felt it was important to be able to defend herself and have the ability to beat her opponents up at any time. After climbing the literal wall, Xin Lan rolled the window back into bed and began to sleep with her eyes closed. The moon was still high in the sky, and it was a beautiful night, unobscured by clouds, and the silver glow fell on the window pane and stretched into the house, illuminating the square of beauty. ڻʹһطͬ¹ The red candle melts a little, the flame dances on the wick. Xin Lan sits on the bed with a red veil over her head and sits in a regular manner, her hands on her knees, her spine straight, but her fingers twisting restlessly against each other. The room was terribly quiet, so quiet that she could not feel the presence of another person, but she knew that person had not yet left. She held her tongue and waited for her cover to be lifted. The person finally moved, and she saw a small piece of bright yellow fabric, followed by the cover being lifted from her head. Quite a little girl. Xin Long heard the man say. She tilted her head and narrowed her eyes, unable to deny it. She looked into his eyes and couldnt help but blink a little. Do you know that you and your aunt have a few resemblances. Wu Yan Qing looked at the little girls face and saw a few glimpses of his ruined wife on it. The mention of Xin Lan made him a little silent. She had not done anything wrong, but she was the daughter of the Xin family. The Xin family was becoming more and more of a threat to him, and although he had known in the beginning that the lending would be like this, he had to do it. I havent seen my aunt for a long time. Xin Long said so. It had been about five years since her aunt had left home to marry someone else when she was no more than seven or eight years old, and she couldnt quite remember what her aunt looked like anymore, only that she was a beauty. When Xin Long said that, Wu Yan Qing also felt the memory of Xin Lans appearance blurred up. It seemed like a long time since he had looked at that person squarely, and whenever he thought of it, he thought of the Xin family behind her, and it was a pang of disgust; no matter how good-looking that face was, he couldnt like it. If it hadnt been for her, why would he have given himself that kind of medicine? If it hadnt been for him, he probably would have had children around his knees calling him Father. So he couldnt stand it any longer. This time, when Concubine Liu was pregnant, he was glad that his capabilities had been restored, but it wasnt in his plans for her to have a miscarriage. Although he knew it couldnt have been Xin Lan, after all, she wasnt that stupid, and the Xin family behind her wouldnt have indicated this, but since the evidence all pointed to her, he went along with it. He knew the Xin family had another girl, but this little girl in front of him was much easier to cajole and control than Xin Lan, so he would rather have another, and whats more, with this one in a grade too young for him to share a room and avoid things. The Xin family wanted to wait for this little Empress to grow up, so lets wait and wait until it was their time to die. He regretted that the brat had died before he could find out who was behind it, and he could not find out anything from Concubine Liu. But he knew that it had to be one of the women in his harem who had done it, and it was only those few who had done it with such a clean hand and erased all traces of it. It was frightening to think that women who smiled like flowers in front of him, women who seemed so fragile that they would die if they were pinched, could also do such a ruthless thing. It was the person on the pillow, yet I dont know which one it was. Each of them was soft and charming in their own way, and each seemed pure and innocent. Wu Yan Qing watched Xin Long, but in his heart he was thinking of something else. This matter would always be found out, after all, it was his first royal child. Xin Long looked at the Emperor and just stared at him, wondering if her reply just now was inappropriate. Her father and mother had only instructed her to be careful everywhere when she came to this palace, not to talk nonsense and to be more on guard, but she didnt know how to talk and how to treat people well no more. Its late at night, you should rest. Although Wu Yan Qing hated the Xin family, but the girl in front of him still looked very young, a pair of pure eyes looked at him, he did not want to look any further, and leaving this sentence turned to leave. Xin Long didnt stay either, just blinked and collapsed on the bed after the Emperor left. Im exhausted. The young maiden muttered, getting up and beckoning the maid in to disrobe. When Xin Lan woke up the next morning to be subjected to gossip by Zero Nine that the Emperor had not slept with the new Empress last night, Xin Lan said she expected it. If the Emperor had been so deranged as to have a go at a young girl She probably would have felt even more disgusted, even with this ancient background, physiologically uncomfortable. Zero Nine expressed her approval and continued to watch TV with Xin Lan when she had nothing better to do. The desert drama had come to its grand finale, whether it was friendship or love or affection that had come to its perfection. By the time the TV drama was finished, Xin Lan also happened to have her lunch. It was just such a coincidence that her niece came. Chun Yue at first cried when she saw the meal that could only be brought for Xin Lan, including Ru Zhaoyi who almost shed tears when she came, and this was the same reaction in her young nieces case. How can they give you this food, aunt, and all these maids I allowed it, what is Longer doing here? Came to see auntie, Auntie Ill have someone make you something delicious to eat, Ming Xiang, go quickly. Xin Lan didnt stop her actions, does she look like someone who doesnt eat good food when its offered. Xin Long was dressed in a gorgeous vivid red dress, the beaded hairpin on her head and Xin Lan was concerned if the little girls neck would be able to withstand it. Auntie, its been a long time. Xin Long had also been given a whole lot of stuff before entering the palace, but it all appeared to be understood, but she knew that her aunt was innocent and that the emperor loathed their family. If he hated it, why did he marry his aunt and marry another one? Her mother gave her a big speech, which made her head ache, and she couldnt understand it, it was a mess. Its been a long time since Ive seen you, and now Longer has become a grown-up girl. No, its so exhausting to be an Empress. Xin Long pouted as if to complain, looking pitiful with a frown. Having to get up so early, I havent even woken up yet, I couldnt even have time for breakfast, so I sat in my seat, a bunch of women were chattering, making my head hurt, each one so much older than me, and still calling me sister against my heart, you dont know how ugly one of the faces looked. Xin Long almost finished dealing with it on a hungry stomach, there was something she didnt understand, or Ming Xiang answered back for her. Was it a magnificently dressed person sitting at the bottom left? Yes, yes, yes, it is the Gui Fei. She is staggering in nature, and prickly like the surface, this kind of thing you better watch out and know that she is not happy with you. Have less interaction with Consort Man and Consort Xi, especially Consort Xi, you cant even play with her with two brains. Xin Lan nudged the young girls forehead and watched her nod. By the way auntie, yesterday auntie, no, yesterday His Majesty said to me that I look a bit like you. Is that so, and what was your impression of His Majesty? Fierce, but Mother told me to try to please him. Xin Lans face was unchanged, but in her heart she was sighing. What was the use of pleasing the Emperor any more, the Xin family had not yet seen how deep the Emperors loathing of them had reached, so deep that they would have to be uprooted and then viciously torn apart before they were finished. The Emperor would still be uncomfortable with a power that is not his own, or even beyond his control, let alone one that is not in the palm of his hand. Xin Lan: Check the ingredients of the suppressant drug the Emperor took, and the opposing ingredients of the antidote to alleviate the situation, and check which things contain them. Zero Nine: Yes. Mingx Xiang returned with a food box full of goodies. Master, the imperial kitchen has been instructed. Thats good, Auntie, eat delicious food every day from now on. Good, thank you, Longer. Xin Lan also did not consume the meal in front of Xin Long, but talked to her about some things in the harem, fearing that Xin Long would not be able to remember them, and made a special visualization. Consort Xi was a poisonous snake, Consort Man was a fox, and Consort Gui was a vicious dog. It seemed as if the foxes were the most harmless, but those who fell for them suffered stifling losses. As for the vicious dog, it seems to be moving around in its own lair, but if it locks on to its prey and bites into the poison, it will be powerless to return. Of course, these are all examples given by Xin Lan based on Xin Long, if it were herself, how could the fox fool her, the vicious dog would have to be injured himself before he could get close, and she always hit the snake by the seventh inch, the poisonous snake didnt even have the chance to spurt out its venom. Xinlong remembered them all, equating what Xin Lan said with the face in her mind. Aunt, you should eat first, it wont taste good if it gets cold later. Good. Then Ill leave first and come back to see you another day. Good, but this scented bag of yours, whats in it? Xin Long reported a few spices and saw Xin Lan frowning slightly. Whats wrong aunt? Is there a problem with this scented bag? Its not a big deal, its just that His Majesty doesnt seem to like this too much, you can match a scented bag as I said. Good. Xin Lan said what Zero Nine said about the spices containing that ingredient, and added a little something else. The inspiration for the spice was still from Consort Man, but what Xin Long was able to play with was only pedestrian. So in addition to that, Xin Lan also told Xin Long about a food that she should make for the emperor. The Emperors niece is now in a position to make it. It was a secret that no one knew anyway, the dish Xin Lan said would be well covered with other flavours, and even if the Emperor found out, Xin Long knew nothing about what it did, and even if she were to tell she would be fine. Xin Long went back with her own maidservant and the Palace of the Moon returned to its usual peace. Xin Lan asked the two maids to sit down and eat together, and after finishing the delicious meal Xin Long had brought, she began to wait for the day when the original master would die in the subsequent plot. It was a week after the Empress Sealing Ceremony, and Xin Lan knew that on that day, she would be knocked unconscious by the Emperors men and appear in a small forest not far from the Imperial Banquet. She would not go against this plot, and it could not have been a better opportunity. When the time came, she would give the Emperor a taste of what it would be like to have a basket of bricks and no water. And he wants to kill two birds with one stone? Dream on. The cool night breeze dispelled the stifling heat of the summer. The musicians played joyful music, the large night beads added colour to the feast, the pretty dancers poured wine in ambiguous positions with their cups in their mouths, the dancers sang and danced to the music, and the people at the table mingled and laughed. At the same time, a black shadow infiltrated the Palace of the Moon. Thinking that it was finally coming, Xin Lan pretended not to know and continued to make her bed, when a pain in the back of her neck plunged her into darkness. Zero Nine watched the outside world nervously, the host was truly dizzy but could also be woken up by her at any time. She watched as the black shadow led her host out of the Biyue Palace and around seven corners to a place where she set the person down. The moment Xin Lan was put down, Zero Nine woke her up. Xin Lan was still lying on the ground, pretending to be unconscious. The dark shadow did not leave, but stood guard over her, as if waiting for something to come. Qu ZhiAn put down her glass of wine, feeling a little strange in her heart, she had never been a bad drinker, today it was the Emperor who had given the wine to her colleagues to drink a few glasses, just these few glasses should not be enough to make her drunk, but she did feel a little lightheaded now, becoming a little drowsy. This was not good, she had her secret in mind and planned to go out to blow off steam and calm down. In case she collapsed in this palace and her secret was discovered, it would be a great disaster. Qu ZhiAn, somewhat unable to see the expressions of the people in the palace, made herself known hastily and walked out of the palace. The cool breeze blew in, which cleared her mind for a few moments. But soon the drowsy feeling came back, accompanied by a wave of heat. Qu Zhian was a little distracted and pressed her brow. Is Daren drunk? There is a pavilion not far away, Daren can go there to rest first, and the servant girl will go and bring you a bowl of sobering soup. Thank you, girl. Qu ZhiAn heard a woman talking beside her, and when she looked up, she saw that she looked like a palace maid. She followed her step by step, but the sky and earth suddenly shook. The palace maid reached out to support her and led her forward step by step. Qu ZhiAn was now nearly unconscious. The palace maid put her down, folded her over the fallen man on the ground and left with hurried steps. Xin Lan opened her eyes and did not pretend to be unconscious again. Zero Nine: Host, someone is staring not far away. Xin Lan sat up from the ground, pretending to be somewhat alarmed and pushed the person away, staggering to stand up from the ground, but her hand deliberately pulled Qu ZhiAn up from the ground as well, but to an outsider it appeared as if Qu ZhiAn was tugging at Xin Lans hand and staggering to her feet. Its hard Qu ZhiAn mumbled as she leaned against Xin Lan. Xin Lan looked at her already all but unconscious and stretched out her hand to poke a certain acupuncture point on her body, the pain waking Qu ZhiAn up for a moment. Come with me. She only had time to hear such a voice, a nice, calm, seemingly reassuring voice. Xin Lan walked forward, her fingers holding Qu ZhiAns by her sleeves, deliberately pushing her away and pulling her back, in order to give the wrong impression to the person watching in the shadows, as if she wanted to leave in a hurry, but Qu ZhiAn was pulling her on and wouldnt let go. It was only after some tangling and theatrics that she went in the direction chosen by Xin Lan. Feeling herself moving, Qu ZhiAn struggled to open her eyes and saw a strangely beautiful side face. Something was wrong. Qu ZhiAn knew she had been tricked, but how, where she was now, who was next to her and where she was going, she didnt know. She tried to think but her head felt like mush, like a drunken fog, and she even felt like she was hanging in the air, not having landed on the ground. If Qu ZhiAn were to look down at this moment, she would see that she was really in the air. Xin Lan crossed the corridor by means of the rockery then flew up to the roof, tumbled into a palace, pressed herself against the wall to support the person leaning on her, and waited for Zero Nine to say that the person had gone before following the map in her mind to avoid the person and return to Palace of the Moon. Si Tong and Chun Yue were both dying of anxiety when they found Xin Lan missing from the room, the two of them kept pacing around the room and rushed to meet Xin Lan when they found her walking in. Where have you been, master? This is? Chun Yue hastily inquired, then frowned when she noticed that her master was also holding someone, and looking at the clothing it was a man. Something has happened, explain later, go and prepare a bucket of water, I want to take a bath, quick, its okay if the water isnt hot. I have water for the boil, well go and prepare it now. Xin Lan helped the man to his room, Qu ZhiAn was again in a near coma, leaning against Xin Lan with her eyes tightly closed and her forehead sweating all the time, in a very bad state. Xin Lan was lucky that the Emperor had not given her any aphrodisiac. If he did, it would have been difficult for her. At the moment, the tanhua has a face like a peach blossom, and if one looks closely enough, one can detect the hint of a woman. She was so handsome that if she were a man, she would be described as a beautiful woman, but she was a woman herself, so this was not a derogatory term. Qu ZhiAn felt someone staring at her and opened her eyes with great effort, blinking sluggishly. The feeling of weakness was so overwhelming that she just had to hold on to the clothes of the person beside her for dear life, only to be pushed away. She fell to the floor in a daze, looking at the person who had pushed her away with a slightly aggravated look. Xin Lan was ready to take off her clothes, but this person next to her tugged at her clothes and wouldnt let go, so she had to push a little, and she didnt expect that this tangy boy actually couldnt even stand up, and sat down directly on his butt, falling dumbfounded, and that aggrieved look even looked a little cute and funny. Why did you push me? Qu ZhiAn asked in a daze, frowning in pain again. Two voices seemed to be at war in her head, trying desperately to wake up, only to fall into a deeper stupor. Xin Lan had no choice but to pull the person sitting on the ground up. When she pulled her hand up, she groped her hand towards the young girls breast in passing. She wasnt trying to be a rogue, she just wanted to make sure. But before she could touch it, it was blocked. Qu ZhiAn grabbed her hand, her dark eyes locked with hers, her lips pursed in a way that looked like she was sober. Xin Lan laughed lightly and allowed her to pull on her one hand, using the other to continue her exploration of the decipherment. Then the other hand was grabbed as well. Even then so defensive? Qhu ZhiAn just looked at her and didnt say a word. Okay, okay, I wont touch it, let go of my hand. Qu ZhiAn didnt know if she understood or not, but she still held Xin Lans hand and didnt let go. She was hot, and those hands were also hot, and the grip was soft and cold, so she didnt want to let go. Xin Lan would not let her keep pulling like that and forcefully pulled her hand out. A light layer of mist floated into Qu ZhiAns eyes as she stood aggressively in place for punishment. It was so uncomfortable, obviously being close would make her comfortable. Xin Lan untied her outer robe and began to untie her own lining. Qu ZhiAns eyelashes fluttered, and there was a nervous step back when she saw a patch of white skin. Xin Lan was wearing a bib, and underneath she was wearing a pair of profane clothes, and her white arms were exposed. There was only a candle flame in the room, and her hair was draped underneath, and the light and shadow cast on her side of her face was actually a little gentle. The hot water was carried in and together Chun Yue and Si Tong put the bucket down, putting the cloth towel over the edge of the bucket, looking at Xin Lan with desire and then at Qu ZhiAn in the room. She is not your concern, go out and do not reveal that someone is here with me. Slave servant knows. Chun Yue and Si Tong bowed and retreated. After the door was closed, the two maids were filled with thoughts. The matter of the master sharing a room with a man, and the master bathing in front of that man, had to make one think deeply. The master must have her own considerations, lets just pretend we dont know. Chun Yue felt that it was something wrong, after all, the master had said bluntly that something was wrong, although she didnt know what had happened, she thought it was not good, since she was in this palace, she had to learn to be properly blind and heart blind. Si Tong nodded and they went about their business as usual, as if nothing had ever happened. In the main hall, someone whispered something in the Emperors ear and there was a slight change in his face. He picked up his wine glass and drained it in one go, clenching it tightly. If the occasion had not been wrong, he would probably have thrown the wine glass out and cursed at the waste. I cant believe that knocking out a woman is not even strong enough to make someone wake up early, and even if they wake up, they actually let her run away. He whispered a few words to the man, who nodded and retreated. On the other side, Xin Lan had already taken off her inner trousers and was left with a single pair of underwear. She looked at Qu ZhiAn and unfastened the last piece of her covering as well. Qu ZhiAn looked frozen, blushing up to her neck. It didnt matter to Xin Lan, she was a woman, so what was there to be ashamed of. She stepped into the bucket and crooked her finger at Qu ZhiAn. Qu Zhian slowly approached, not looking very sober. There were noises coming from the doorway and Xin Lans eyes flinched. She stood up, not caring that Qu ZhiSn had her clothes and shoes on, and dragged her into the water by force. The fabric absorbed the water and became heavy, and Qu ZhiAn was uncomfortable moving around. Quiet, now sink under the water and dont make a sound, understand, it will be hard for you and I to escape this if we are found out. Xin Lan took Qu ZhiAn by the chin and looked into her eyes. Qu ZhiAns eyes cleared for a moment and she nodded, sinking into the water, her green silk floating in the bucket. Xin Lan, on the other hand, slowly picked up a cloth towel to wipe her arms, feeling sorry for the bucket of water in her heart. How dare you! Who gave you permission to trespass! Is my master also something you can charge at! This cry was shouted by Chun Yue, and Si Tong was there to stop her. Dont go in, my master is bathing! Yet they still did not stop the intruder, and Xin Lans door was kicked open. I didnt know that even a womans boudoir is something you can enter whenever you want. Xin Lan did not turn around, only giving the person who entered a foggy back, her tone containing an edge. Even though I am an Abolished Empress, I am still a woman, and this is still in the harem. I will fight to save face and report to the new Empress, and I can still punish you to death. Xin Lans face was cold, she would give the Emperor another mark today and make him pay the price one by one in the coming day. Your Majesty, I have no intention to offend, but I have only chased the thief here, so I wonder if I can search for him? What if I say no? Qu ZhiAn, who had by now been holding her breath to the extreme, quietly revealed half her head and heard such a conversation, and was startled in her heart. Her mind had cleared quite a bit while she was submerged in the water. Leaving aside other factors, was it too much of a slight to barge in while a woman was bathing and actually say something about continuing the search? Qu ZhiAn frowned, her heart pounding with discomfort. Xin Lan saw her emerge, fearing that the people behind her would look out, and pressed the back of that head against her arms, displeasure still radiating around her. Buried unawares in the soft bosom, Qu ZhiAn could feel the place swaying gently. She tentatively blushed to the point of dripping blood, this this this The softness of her cheeks was held up, and Qu ZhiAn pinched her fingertips, making herself try to restrain the urge to escape. Her eyes looked at the face that was steaming with water vapor and she was a little dazzled. I would be offended. The man went into the room, searched Xin Lans bed and underneath it, and seeing that he had indeed found nothing, went to look elsewhere. It was only when they had left the Palace of the Moon that the two little maids appeared with red eyes. Master, hes bullying people too much! No harm done, you guys go out first. Xin Lan loosened her clenched fist and let out a soft breath of relief. Once Chun Yue and the girls had gone out, Xin Lan stood up in the water, and Qu Zhi An also got up in a hurry, averting her eyes with some discomfort. Your Majesty, you should put your clothes on first. What does it matter, isnt Daren also a woman. Qu ZhiAn didnt feel angry when her secret was torn apart, she rubbed her nose and looked left and right but didnt dare to look at Xin Lan. Xin Lan got up from the water, wiped herself hastily, and put on her belly-band and loincloth. Does your lordship ever remember what happened before? Qu ZhiAn sniffed and sank, there was something odd in that wine and in the palace maid who had guided her, if this man hadnt led her all the way, Im afraid she would have been found out by this time. It seems to have come to mind, so do you know who those two people were looking for just now? If I guessed correctly, they must have been looking for me, or have I even dragged Your Majesty into this. Qu Zhian frowned, she had only just entered the service, who had she offended to be like this. Not to say offended, how do you think I appeared there, today is the day of the imperial banquet, how could I, a wasted queen of the cold palace, run there for nothing. Two birds with one stone? Who do you think it was? There is a guess, but it shouldnt I dont remember when I have offended anyone. Who else in this palace has the ability to knock me out, drug you to lead the way, and have someone break into the Cold Palace to search for me, other than the one sitting up there? Have you ever heard the name of the person who broke in? Xin Lan snorted, brushing her fingers through her long, slightly damp hair. The man had called himself This small official, not Slave, so he was at least an official, and who else but the Emperor could call on him at this time? The Emperors attitude towards her today was clearly normal, and he had been very amicable during the banquet. Could it be that His Majesty knows that I am a woman and is setting me up? This was the only answer Qu ZhiAn could come up with, otherwise the rest was unlikely, but this alone was a case of deceiving the emperor and disregarding his superiors, enough to kill him. Why go to all this trouble when you can reveal it on the spot? Was it just to kill two birds with one stone? Qu ZhiAn looked at Xin Lan sitting on the bed, but that didnt hold water either. It would be contradictory to frame this woman for fornication, to disrupt the palace, and to reveal her identity as a woman. Xin Lan made no comments on her speculation and sat quietly by the side. Qu ZhiAn was caught in a kind of confusion, looking at Xin Lan with complicated eyes. Why are you looking at me like that? How is it that Your Majesty is not at all surprised or angry at all? From start to finish this person acted calm, whether it was being knocked unconscious and nearly framed for an illicit affair, or finding out she was a woman. Except for the two men who got angry when they barged in, it was calm to the point of indifference. Unexpected, whats to be angry about, except that the subject was you, I knew he wanted to torture me, you rather surprised me. If the Emperor had wanted Xin Lan dead, it would not have been complicated, but he just wanted to toss and turn, refusing to let people die comfortably and having to make them lose face before torturing them to death. Your Majesty does not look like someone who would mutilate the Emperors heir. T/N: colourful lights and decorations Y (zhngdngjici): to be decorated with lanterns and colored banners (idiom) is full of joy.ϲ (xqyngyng): full of joy (idiom); jubilation fluid manner ˮ (xngynlishu): lit. moving clouds and flowing water (idiom) / fig. very natural and flowing style of calligraphy, writing, etc / natural and unforced little girl Ѿ^ (ytou) theres a xiao before this two characters, but that is self explanatory: girl / servant girl / (used deprecatingly, but sometimes also as a term of endearment) a mess y߰ (lunqbzo): everything in disorder (idiom); in a hideous mess / at sixes and sevens Dream on (chnqidmng): grand dreams / unrealistic ideas (idiom) Daren (dren): title of respect toward superiors main hall (ddin): main hall of a Buddhist temple Tanhua ̽ (tnhu): candidate who came third in the Han-lin examination, was going to go with prized scholar or third prized scholar. This small official ΢ (wichn): can also be humble servant Slave ū (ncai) CH 30 Power of the Court : Just a Hand to Cover the Sky (Arc 2) The candlelight was restless, and Xin Lan had told the story in all its glory. From the time she became a woman, to the royal decree that prohibited her from being a woman. Perhaps to gain leverage, Xin Lan likewise told the fact of sterility. I never thought in a million years that he would be such a person Qu Zhian murmured, looking at Xin Lan with eyes full of heartache. At first, she had only felt that she was abnormal, but now she was even more sour when she thought about it. If she hadnt woken up in time to escape tonight, what would have been the end of her. At first, Qu Zhian had thought the emperor was a good ruler worthy of her loyalty who would allow her to realise her ambitions, but now she thought that he was just a ruthless, despicable villain. A man with such a cold heart was not the kind of ruler she wanted, a man with no sense of decency, a man with a narrow mind, a man who would not last long. And whats more, tonight, he had set her up. Dont look at me like that, its all in the past. I have not yet asked your name, but if you do not wish to speak, then you need not, for there may not be any chance of meeting you in the future. What Xin Lan said was true on the surface, one was in the imperial court and the other in the harem, and it was true that it was not easy to run into each other. But the truth is, if there is no chance, we have to create it. My name is Qu Zhian, the name of the Angelica, and the meaning of the word peace. Qu Zhian, Xin Lan pronounced the name word by word and smiled at the person, Ill make a note of it, Daren is not afraid that this is a handle? It should have been important, but now Qu Zhians face took on a hesitant look, I dont know when His Majesty knew I was a woman, if he did, why would he have drugged me and put me with you, unless Unless he wanted people to know that I was with you, but didnt want them to find out that you were a woman. Xin Lan said the standard answer, and that was what Qu Zhian wanted to say. But it is clear that we will both be condemned Qu Zhian had always had a delicate mind, but she didnt know what the emperor intended by this. What if he takes a fancy to you? Me? Qu Zhian pointed at herself, a little stunned. A gust of wind blew in from outside the house, causing Qu Zhian to shiver. Her whole body, including her clothes, were soaked to the skin and very uncomfortable, but as it was summer, she felt okay, and more importantly, she must not change this outfit she was wearing. What made her feel even more uncomfortable was not the condition of this body, but what Xin Lan had just said. A good-looking, capable Lord Qu, who is very different from other women, knowing that you are a woman, do you think His Majesty will be attracted to you? Perhaps he would want to make a scene and say that I seduced you, that you were just drunk and punished me, while taking you to the palace, you were drugged weak and delirious, and there was some slight aiding effect, a lone man and a woman, what do you think would happen? Xin Lans face curled into a mocking smile, but the words on her mouth didnt cease, More than a woman who is only in the harem, a courtier from the former dynasty can be a sharp blade in his hands to deal with his enemies, no? Xin Lan said the established facts of the original story, observing Qu Zhians reaction and seeing her brow furrowed with a look of disgust. Qu Zhian was truly disgusted by what Xin Lan described, her stomach lurched. But she knew it wasnt delusion, but something that had a very good chance of happening. She clenched her fists, this would never do. She had come from home and dressed as a man because she wanted to escape marrying someone else, she didnt want to spurn herself in the back of the house, and if she got it like this, what would that be? She had no desire to be in the harem, and if she had to do this, what would she be doing? Qu Zhian was so upset and irritable that her wet and sticky body made her feel even worse. She knew that the problem of outside relatives was a headache for the emperor, and that she was a newcomer promoted by the emperor, and would inevitably fight against that force and become a sword in the emperors hands, which he did not need to do. But on the contrary, he had to drug her and harbour that disgusting thought. Qu Zhian had been feeling out of breath, and that breath was stuck uncomfortably in her chest. Xin Lan took in all of her reactions and hooked his lips in his heart, wanting her to be disgusted. The only way to pry someone over is for Qu Zhian to slowly turn away in disgust. This world is not as easy as the last one to poach, after all, it was the battlefield of life and death before, it is normal to switch teams at any time, but in this world, what Xin Lan wants to do is to take away everything from the emperor, then this will inevitably have to include the heart of the rebellion, of course, Xin Lan has no intention of being the emperor herself, and if she does turn it over, as far as that situation is concerned, it is much better to be the regent than the emperor, but that is an afterthought. In such a situation, few people would have the idea of revolting, even if Qu Zhian was now diabolical towards the emperor, the big deal would be to leave without being an official, but of course whether one could leave or not was still a matter of opinion, and in any case one could not yet draw people into ones camp. After all, disgust is not enough to support people to say anything, unless they are extremely arrogant or crazy. This was something Xin Lan understood very well, just as before, she was on the side of the empire, serving the emperor, and there were subjects in the court who were dissatisfied with the emperor, and in the end there were people like traitors, if it was an internal rebellion then it could still be controlled, the most terrible thing was to collaborate with the enemy. Suddenly, Xin Lan thought of this and thought of Consort Man. Xin Lan estimated how long it had been since the incident had taken place, and Zero Nine gave an accurate figure. It seemed to be about the same. Lord Qu, its time for you to leave, its best to say that you were pushed into some kind of pond, which, Im sure, your lordship can fix yourself. Qu Zhian sniffed and nodded. Ill trouble you tonight, Niangniang. No need to call me that, Xin Lan smiled, knowing that Qu Zhian was being kind to preserve her honor, just call me by my name, Xin Lan, as in Smoke and Cloud. Miss Xin. Qu Zhian nodded her head. Let me take you out, you dont know your way around the palace, lets take you to the small lake, do a full show. Thank you very much. Qu Zhian had almost fully believed in Xin Lans hypothetical situation, and as far as she was concerned, Xin Lan had been kind to her. Xin Lan put on her shirt and swept a glance at Qu Zhians breasts. I dont know if it was the flatness or the tightness of the strangulation, but it didnt look different. Chun Yue and Huo Hua saw the two of them come out of the room, Qu Zhian was soaked to the skin, but it looked like nothing had happened. Xin Lan led Qu Zhian to a nearby lake and waved goodbye. The colour in Qu Zhians eyes sank as she looked at her wet hair, still dripping with water, and then at the back of the man who was meandering away not far away. When she looked up again, she pretended to be at a loss, as if she was walking aimlessly forward. Xin Lan returned to the palace and sat down on a chair. The emperor had no idea what else was going to happen. If this plan failed, who knew if he would have any other tricks up his sleeve. The emperor and Qu Zhian have done their job, but anyone who knows that his or her boss might have thoughts of sexual harassment in the workplace will feel uncomfortable, right? So who to start with next. The former Xin Lan still has no one available, and the Xin family is very powerful, but that is the Xin family, not her Xin Lan. It is true that the Xin family had great ambitions, first for the sake of the bed full of watts, and then because the new emperor wanted to eliminate them, and in order to protect themselves and not end up in a miserable situation, they had to work harder to put down roots, so that the emperor could not touch them, at least for the time being. So they hoped that the Empress in the harem would give birth to a dragon son who would inherit the throne in the future, so that the Xin family could continue to flourish, but the original owner had not been able to give birth to a son or a daughter, and the Harem did not even have any children. However, the original owner had not been able to give birth to any children, and the harem did not even have an heir. But before that, Xin Lan has one more thing to do. After the matter explained by His Majesty was finished, Hong Huan walked out through the palace gate. Although he didnt know why His Majesty had gone to such lengths to settle for the deposed Empress, who was already in the cold palace, as a beloved member of the inner circle, he didnt need to ask questions about such matters, he just had to do as he was ordered. He pushed open the door and returned home, subconsciously sensing a hint that something was wrong, but before he could react, he felt a pain in his rear end and fainted. Xin Lan stepped out from behind the door and clapped her hands. The one who had knocked her out, the one who had followed her, the one who had kicked open the door to her room and talked to her were all this man, and although the Emperor had signalled it, the main culprit was guilty, as was the accessory. Although the emperor had ordered her to do so, the main culprit was guilty and so were the accomplices. It was a good thing this person was living alone, otherwise she would have had to draw his attention halfway through the day to get her hands on him. Looking at the man who had fallen to the ground, Xin Lan gave an extremely light smile. This smile was familiar to Zero Nine, it had appeared on Xin Lans face when she had gone to fight Zou Yunfei in the last world. She didnt even leave any marks on his body, she just buried a needle in his waist with her inner strength. It didnt take her a minute to do this. She went into the room, took all the silver, and deliberately smashed and tossed things around to make it look as if the place had been looted. She took up her light skills and left the place, making her way back to the palace and tumbling in through her window. After putting the money away, Xin Lan undressed, and only then did she fall sound asleep. And the timeline moved forward to a time when the banquet was still going on. The smile on Wu Yanqings face dispersed a little as he heard the news from those at the bottom. The people below him were observant and even the chatter was much quieter. The banquet was coming to an end anyway, so Wu Yanqing had other things on his mind, so he let it disperse early. When they returned to the Inner Hall, those kneeling at the bottom told them everything. How can you lose a woman? Wu Yanqing could not help but rebuke, pacing in front of the man, wanting to smash the things in his hand over, but thought better of it. Have you found the man yet? No, my servant searched along that road and found nothing, and the same was not found in the cold palace. Useless things! Wu Yanqings anger was hard to quell, his chest kept heaving. This was all different from what he had expected to calculate, it should have been a very good outcome, but now it had turned out like this. The one who had calculated was safe and sound, and the other one was nowhere to be found. Your Majesty, the scout has been found. A palace attendant came in to report. What? Where? Bring her in. Wu Yanqings eyes lit up and he immediately asked someone to bring the person in. Not long after, the soaked Qu Zhian walked in and bowed to the emperor. You may go down first. Wu Yanqing brushed his sleeves, and the man kneeling on the floor immediately retreated. I said how come I didnt see you during the banquet, where did you go? Why are you in such a mess? Wu Yanqing asked with great concern. Qu Zhian pulled out an embarrassed smile, her heart chilling in a wave. It was clear that this man had set her up, it was clear that he knew everything, and he could still pretend to care for her in front of her as if nothing was wrong, it was really a concern that people were not fortunate enough to bear. A maid told me to go to the pavilion in front of me to rest and bring me a sobering soup, but I somehow found myself soaking in the lake, so I hurriedly got up in the water, but I didnt know the way, so I guess I was dizzy from the drink and somehow got there in a daze. The palace staff. Qu Zhian laughed in a rather shy embarrassment, her face reddening. Youre just confused. Wu Yanqing coaxed her, but she hadnt noticed that his words were so ambiguous before, but now she was sensitive to it. Perhaps it was because she was suspicious of her neighbors axe, Qu Zhian now felt wrong when she looked at the emperors every word and deed, they all seemed to be full of ambiguity, and she was exceptionally averse to that feeling. But she could only pretend not to know, if she were to reveal it or reveal the slightest hint of it, then what would happen next would not be what she wanted to see. She only wanted to be a minister, she did not want to think otherwise. Then I will leave you so that you can go home and change your clothes. Why dont you just rest at my place, Ill have someone get you a set of clothes that fit you. I wont trouble Your Majesty, its not very late now, so your humble servant would like to go back as soon as possible. Wu Yanqing met Qu Zhians eyes and had to nod his head. Fine, then you should hurry back, even though it is this day, you should be careful not to catch the wind chill, remember to drink something to warm your body when you return. Yes, thank you for your Majestys concern. Qu Zhian could not continue to face this face, she had to go back and tidy up properly. Qu Zhian went home, she didnt have a residence yet, she just rented a courtyard for herself. After a bath and a cup of hot tea, she sat at the table in clean clothes. The candle flames danced and illuminated her preoccupied face. Qu Zhian had not thought that she would come to this point. At first, she was reluctant to get married, so she left a note asking her family not to find her a husband and not to agree to any matchmaking, and left with a few hundred taels of silver and a family heirloom jade pendant. Her father had always told her since she was a child that it was important to be happy in life, so she went off to be happy herself. Coming from a merchant family, there were not that many rules, so she learnt many of them from her childhood. In the meantime, she sent letters to her family, asking them to accept them, and started to travel with the silver she earned. She wrote a lot about what she had seen and heard and what she thought. She had no intention of making a name for herself, she did not have a strong sense of merit, and her status was special, so it would not be childs play if she was found out. Originally she was happy, especially when she was discussing with the Emperor in the Golden Palace, and when she was debating with people in the teahouse, she even planned to join the court and serve the country for life. However, it never occurred to her that tonight, so many things had happened. Qu Zhian undressed and went to sleep, but she tossed and turned and could not sleep. One moment was the emperors previous attitude, the next was his calculations, the next was that gorgeous but cold face, and finally it all converged into the scene where that hand pressed the back of her head without refusal and pressed her to her chest. Soft and delicate, warm and fragrant to the bone. Qu Zhian sat up violently from the bed and shook her head. But when she lay down and closed her eyes, it was the image of Xin Lan talking in the barrel, sitting on the bed, combing her hair, and speaking with mockery and a cold face. Qu Zhian sighed unconsciously and fell asleep with her thoughts on her mind. The next day, Wu Yanqing found Hong Huan on duty with a sullen look on his face and casually asked what had happened. Last night, when I returned home, I found that my family had been burgled. Hong Huan smiled bitterly, his familys fortune had been emptied, and he was still awakened by the sun today to find himself lying in the courtyard. He didnt say anything about being knocked unconscious, but it was a shame to say that an imperial guard was knocked unconscious by thieves in his own home. The emperor was not in a good mood after the failure of his plan last night, but he was much more refreshed after a good nights sleep, so he comforted his subordinates and passed by. Hong Huan rubbed his back after he left, feeling uncomfortable, but not feeling anything different, so he didnt take it to heart again. In the cold palace Xin Lan began to quietly get busy, but of course, to outsiders it still looked like she was still just sitting in the harem dazed. Xin Lan had asked Zero Nine to make her a statistical sheet of all the Consorts in the harem and the stakes behind them. The emperors harem didnt have many people now, for reasons that had been mentioned quite a few times before, and there were only about ten, not counting Xin Lan. The relationships in the harem were easy to sort out, and there were five main factions. The four main factions are the Empress, Guifei, Consort Man, Consort Xi, and the faction that doesnt get involved in anything. The original owners several Consorts, after the original owner stepped down only two still follow Xin Long, because their father and brother is working under the hand of the Xin family, either climbing relatives, or is a disciple, in short, is a boat, one day all the glory and one day all the loss, while there are two attitude is still unknown. After all, peoples hearts are always complicated, not as clear as data. The Emperor was supposed to fill his harem when he ascended the throne, but he kept pushing it back on the grounds that he was in mourning for three years, and now it is already the fourth year. Both the Xin family and some of the old courtiers want the Emperor to start the selection process, and the Emperor has already resisted the pressure for most of the year and is probably not going to be able to resist any longer. The Xin family is particularly anxious now, as Xin Long is just under thirteen years old and is simply unable to claim favour, let alone get pregnant, which is why a child is needed all the more to stabilise the situation. The Xin family also knows that even if they have a child now, Xin Long remains a child, so how can she raise it well? So they had to have a pregnant woman they could trust to be on the same side as them, and those emperors in the harem were unwilling to touch them, so someone new had to be put in, and the selection ceremony was imperative. Xin Lans fingers tapped on the table, seeking to think that she could not go out to the event now, so she would have to let her young niece go. Xin Long sneezed in her room and rubbed her nose. Mingxiang, have you prepared the new incense pouches? Its ready, didnt slave servant bring it to you here, please smell it and see if you like it, it smells quite nice to slave servant. Xin Long smiled, put it on the end of her nose and nodded. Yes it smells good, aunt is really good. Then the meal has also been prepared by the kitchen, do you want to try it first? When you think its good, its not too late to offer it to His Majesty. Fine, have someone bring it. Initially, the Imperial Kitchen should have been responsible for this part of the meal, but when the former Empress lived in Changqiu Palace, occasionally she would want to eat something at night, either by having some medicine to improve her qi and nourish her body, so a special kitchen was opened up for this purpose, and now that Xin Long had moved in, it was just right to continue using it. The red fruit was filled with crushed ice, which looked beautiful and delicious at the same time. Xin Long originally only wanted to try a few bites, but ended up finishing the bowl straight away. Its delicious and cooling, Auntie is really wonderful, order them to make two more bowls, one for you to fill up and send to Auntie, and one for me, Ill go and bring it to His Majesty. Master, you are not allowed to call for yourself like that now. Ming Xiang helplessly reminded her master who had forgotten to address herself again, it was okay in front of her, but not outside. I know, I know, bring it to my palace, go quickly. Wu Yanqing was in the imperial study, grading a book, the palace maid next to him was fanning him, the hall had a basin filled with ice, it wasnt too stuffy. Your Majesty, the Empress is here. What is she doing here? Wu Yanqing asked without raising his head, holding a brush and dipping it in some cinnabar water. To bring you some food to beat the heat. Let her in. En. There was the sound of footsteps approaching, and Wu Yanqing put down the memorial in his hand. Your Majesty, I have come to bring you food. The voice was as clear as an oriole chirping, causing Wu Yanqing to freeze, and only when he saw the little girl in the phoenix robe at the bottom did he suddenly remember that he had replaced his empress. Faced with the little girls innocent smile, Wu Yanqing laughed coldly in his heart, but nodded with no expression on his face. The bowl of snacks that was brought out emitted a cold air that made Wu Yanqings mouth and tongue water. The little girls eyes looked at him expectantly, so Wu Yanqing had no choice but to pick up the spoon and take a sip, ready to let Xin Long go. The red berry-like fruit had a sweet and sour taste, and Wu Yanqing was so restless from reading the memorials that he took one mouthful and finished the small bowl. It tasted quite good. Wu Yanqing nodded his head, and seeing the little girls smiling appearance, he also revealed a smile. Then I will leave Your Majesty to review the memorials. Xin Long said this in a serious manner, but her tone was vivacious. Wu Yanqing looked at her back, his eyes taking on a look of regret. If only this girl was not a member of the Xin family, it was a pity that she had been born in the wrong family. After Xin Long returned, she dragged Ming Xiang to be happy for a while, and then sent Ming Xiang to bring food to Xin Lan, when Ming Xiang delivered it, Xin Lan called her to stop. Is Your Majesty happy? Delighted, and smiling at His Majesty, thanks to the Third Misss idea. The original master was the third daughter and had been called that by the familys servants before she was married, but now that she had become an abolished Empress, she was still referred to respectfully as Your Majesty, and since Ming Xiang was a member of the Xin family, it made sense for her to be called Third Miss. As long as you are happy. Xin Lan showed a faint smile, if he couldnt die after eating it, it was better to be really infertile, but unfortunately, the effect was too slow. But it did not matter, Xin Lan always felt that Man Fei would not do nothing, for the time being, Man Fei was considered one of the more helpful to her plan. By the way, has Longer visited Consort Liu in the past two days since she entered the palace? Not yet master she doesnt know how to deal with it yet. Longer is young, you still need to help with many things, I think Consort Liu is not feeling well, so she probably hasnt visited her, right? Yes, I have not been there. Then it is all the more important for her, the Empress, to visit, you must pay attention to see the reactions of those people, dont get too close, save the same pot of dirty water from being poured over both of our Xin family. Yes. You are always running around, which is not convenient, but also too conspicuous, in the future I will have someone deliver a letter to you and Longer, but keep an eye on it. Yes. Mingxiang left with the food box, and Xin Lan sipped the cold, cool food, and ordered Sitong to do something. The Xin family has many secret players in the palace, and the original owner has been operating for so many years, but not without them. Sometimes the more inconspicuous a person is, the more helpful they can be. In the case of the messenger, if it was always Mingxiang who came over, someone would have seen it and would have become suspicious. But what if it was just someone from the imperial kitchen bringing fresh fruits and vegetables to the kitchen of Changqiu Palace? Xin Lan bit into the fruit in her mouth and felt the juice explode between her taste buds. She licked the juice from her lips with the tip of her tongue and smiled as she continued to eat the snacks in her bowl. Hearing the words passed by Mingxiang, Xinlong immediately wanted to move to go to Consort Lius place, but was hurriedly stopped by Mingxiu. Whats wrong? Didnt Auntie want me to go see Consort Liu? Master, you should also wait, dont be too anxious, I just came out of the Third Miss place, if you go now, its inevitable that people with a heart will see it and not connect the dots. But Auntie and I are family, we will definitely be linked together. Xinlong asked, not quite understanding, what did going now have to do with going later? But when you go to the palace, the stakes will be different. How is it different? Mingxiu didnt know how to make it clear to Xinlong, who was still a young girl who had never done anything bad or seen anything ugly, and it was difficult for her to understand all those human feelings and worldly affairs at once. Her mother had said that if she didnt understand, she should listen to Mingxiu, so she could wait until she got back. Mingxiu looked at Xinlongs back as she went into the inner room to take a nap, and felt a bit worried. Even if the Madam wanted to direct, yet one was in the deep palace and the other was outside, it was beyond her reach. In the past few days, she had seen clearly that those few noblemen in the palace were not something to be messed with. After the sun had gone down, Xinlong took Mingxiang to Consort Lius residence. When the phoenix carriage arrived at the Consorts residence, a palace attendant went in to inform her. When she went in, she saw a pale woman lying on the bed. It was this woman who had lost her child, and this basin of dirty water had been poured on her aunt. How has your health been lately? Xinlong asked, some distance from the bed, looking at Consort Liu. Mingxiu had said that her aunt said not to stand too close when looking. Thank you for your concern, Your Majesty, the Consorts are fine, its just that its not quite convenient yet, so I cant get up to pay my respects to Your Majesty, please forgive me. Its alright, just lie down, this palace has not seen you since you entered the palace, so I came to take a look. The two were by no means on friendly terms, and although Xinlong was a little uninitiated in the world, her mind could tell which were enemies and which were not. There was nothing more to say, and it would be pointless to force the conversation. Xinlong had come here on Xin Lans advice, and did not want to stay longer, fearing that something might happen. It was only when Xinlong returned to the palace that she felt something was wrong. Strange Whats wrong, master? Whats strange? How come she doesnt hate me when she sees me, she doesnt look angry at all, isnt losing a child a very serious matter, if she thinks my aunt did it, how come she isnt even angry at all when she sees me? Xinlong mumbled, the last time a family of gentry had bullied her best friend, she had seen his brother get angry. You are the Empress, she is only a Consort, how dare she be displeased with you, besides, an aunt is an aunt, a niece is a niece, maybe she can tell the difference, although we know in our hearts that this matter was not done by the third miss. Is that so Xin Long murmured, not putting this matter into mind either, throwing it to the back of her mind. Apart from this recipe, Xin Lan was also working on other foods. She had an informant in the imperial kitchen, and that informant was also responsible for conveying to her some of the more important things she had heard, in addition to passing notes. Compared to Consort Liu who was lying in bed, her health was deteriorating. The miscarriage was supposed to be a harmful thing to the body, and the healthcare was low at this time, so Xin Lan was not very surprised to hear this news. However, it was not even two days before she had an accident. That day in her sleep, Xin Lan was called up by Zero Nine. Zero Nine: Host, something big has happened, Consort Liu is about to die. Zero Nine: She is still struggling. Xin Lan was so shocked that she sat up and wanted to get out of bed and get dressed, but stopped again. However, even if she could save the woman, she would not be able to explain herself clearly. Zero Nine: She is dying. Xin Lan frowned, if someone was going to kill Consort Liu, it should be the person behind it. Zero Nine: Shes dead. Zero Nine finished and was silent for a moment. Xin Lan also followed the silence, with stern frown on her brow. Xin Lan was not surprised, but why did Consort Man want to kill her? If the miscarriage was the work of Consort Man, then why did she keep on chasing after her? Xin Lan: Where is the murderer? Zero Nine: I dont know, she was talking to the servant girl on the bed, and suddenly she grabbed her clothes and collapsed on the bed, and in less than a minute, she was dead. Xin Lan frowned more tightly, without scanning the body, Zero Nine is unable to determine the cause of death of that person. The night was as cool as water. The heavy clouds covered the moon, so that it only let out a little hazy light, even the stars are dull, only a few still bright. Only a few of them were still bright, but they could not light up the heaven and earth, nor could they light up the hearts of the people. Consort Liu fell softly on the bed, her face was blue and white, her chest did not rise and fall, she was already dead. Master, whats wrong with you master, wake up master! Ah Ruo shouted in panic at the bedside, gently shaking the person on the bed in her hand. Master, Im going to call someone for you, master, wake up! A Rou had no time to react at all before she saw her master fall down in pain, and within a few moments he was quiet. A Rou trembled and reached out her hand and placed it under the nose of the person on the bed, but in an instant, A Rou dropped her hand with a pale face. How can this be, how can this be Impossible, its impossible for something to happen to the master just like that. Ah Ruo opened the door and wanted to run out, and when she opened the door she was suddenly grabbed by a hand. Ah Lan, the master is gone. Ah Ruos voice had a crying tone in it, a look of the sky falling. Ah Rou, calm down, you listen to me and you tell C You do know isnt it! Is it her. Im going to find her, Im going to find her, why is she doing this to the master! Listen to me and talk! Ah Ruo couldnt listen at all and was about to rush outside. Ill tell His Majesty, Ill tell His Majesty everything! Ah Ruo chanted, breaking away from the hand that was pulling her. Suddenly her neck was strangled, and Ah Roos face turned red, her feet were stomping around. Now that the situation is like this, are you still unable to distinguish what is a wise move? The man said, while strangling Ah Roos neck with force. Ah Ruo, I do not want to hurt you, you calm down, listen to me, tomorrow if His Majesty asks, your masters body is already getting weaker and weaker, it will not last through tonight, understand? Originally here is that you Ah Ruo swayed her body and tried to make a loud sound, but could only make a little tiny sound that squeezed out from her throat. Ah Rou, she will pay us a lot of silver to get us out of the palace. Listening to her wrath, Ah Roo lifted her foot and viciously stepped on the foot of the person controlling her. Ah Lan took the pain and relaxed the force on his hand, and Ah Rou took the opportunity to run out. Ah Lan did not hesitate anymore, but continued to follow out. Ah Ruo ran on the road that led to the Golden Palace, although it was said that His Majesty was definitely not there, but as long as someone was alerted, no matter who it was, as long as it was not that persons people, there was hope. Ah Ruo covered her throat, where the pain was extraordinary. She passed through an archway and stopped in a hurry to see a man standing in front of her, looking from side to side as if looking for something. Ah Ruo felt bad subconsciously, immediately turned back to run. But the man seemed to have found her, and hurriedly came towards her. Ah Ruo could hear the sound of her heart thumping, at this time, the sound of footsteps came from the road on the left, she did not know who it was, but wanted to escape. She dove head first towards the road she was unfamiliar with, but felt the footsteps following her and couldnt get rid of them. She turned around and did find the approaching figure, she was at this end of the long aisle and the man was at that end, Ah Roo didnt know if it was Ah Lan, but knew that the man was also running forward. Ah Rou. The man called so. It was the person beside that person! Ah Ruo almost cried with fear, she wanted to shout to wake up the people around, but her throat could not make a sound. The man behind her was about to catch up with her, and Ah Roo struggled to run forward, but fell. She got up in pain and saw a palace ahead of her, just run and tap the door, someone would come out to save her. Being so panicked, she didnt know where she had run to and how this road should go. She ran with a limp and began to tap on the door over and over, looking at the people who were running in this direction as she did so. Please, please open the door. Ah Ruo prayed inwardly in despair, knocking louder and louder. Save her, save her! If you get caught, youll die, youll die! She didnt want to die yet, she didnt want to be a dead soul in the ground. Why is there no patrol at this time, why is there no one! The door was still not open, but the man was not far from her. Ah Ruo couldnt push the door, so she endured the pain in her feet and continued to run forward. She was grabbed by the collar and her eyes widened in horror. Regardless, she grabbed the hand and bit it hard, then pushed it back and continued to stumble forward. She saw the corner, one side of the wall, and could only run hard to the other side. A hand suddenly grabbed her, yanked her hard, and covered her mouth. Ah Ruo opened her eyes in despair, but heard a low voice behind her. Dont be afraid. T/N: Daren (dren): title of respect toward superiors Niangniang (ningniang): empress, way of adress CH 31 Abandoned Empress 06 The voice seemed to possess a soothing power, as Ah Rous breathless gasps quieted. With a gentle tug on the sleeve of the person behind her, she pointed ahead. The person appeared familiar with this place and led her further, weaving through arches and corridors, venturing into another realm. In the darkness, Ah Rou couldnt see the persons face or discern the path they were taking, only aware that she had shaken off those who followed her. As they continued their journey, the person eventually came to a halt. Ah Rou watched as she pushed open the lacquered doors, guiding her inside and closing them behind. It seemed to signify safety, and Ah Rou let out a sigh of relief. But as she looked at the face of the person who had been leading her all along, illuminated by the light within the room, her breath caught once more. It was none other than the deposed empress! In that moment, her heart became a tangled mess, and Ah Rou struggled to find the right words or course of action. However, the thought of her mistress, now lifeless within the palace, fueled Ah Rous determination. Xin Lan sat down on the chair and brushed off the dust from her clothes. Initially, she could only observe the situation until Zero Nine informed her that one of Lady Lius personal maidservants was fleeing, being chased by someone. If she was being pursued, it meant she knew something. Zero Nine had relayed a conversation between her and another person, so this maid must know the truth. Immediately, Xin Lan rushed out to save her. Mistress, isnt she from Lady Lius side? Chun Yue, who resided in the outer chambers, woke up due to the commotion. Without saying a word, the mistress left the house. Chun Yue didnt ask any questions, waiting for her return. Little did she expect that the last time the mistress returned with an unknown man, and now she brought back Lady Lius maid. Ah Rou nodded, attempting to speak, but only emitted a wheezing sound. She pointed to her own throat and gestured to Xin Lan. Unable to speak? Ah Rou nodded. Xin Lan looked at the bruises on her neck, her eyebrows barely visible as they furrowed. Perhaps when they had choked her, she had wanted to scream, resulting in damage to her vocal cords, rendering her temporarily voiceless. It was fine to have her hide here. Xin Lan thought she might need to acquire some medicine tomorrow, but now, the herbal shops outside were probably already closed. Then you rest for now. Perhaps there are spare quilts in the storage room, or you can share with Chun Yue for the time being. Xin Lan spoke these words but noticed Ah Rou hastily grabbing her arm. Do you have something to tell me? Ah Rou nodded vigorously. If she didnt speak, she felt unsettled in her heart. Can you write? Ah Rou shook her head. She didnt know how to read or write. Then well wait until your voice recovers, Xin Lan replied. Zero Nine: Host, I scanned the condition of her damaged throat and her self-healing ability without medication. It may take more than four days for her to be able to speak again. Upon hearing this, Xin Lan furrowed her brow once again. Delaying for four days shouldnt be a significant issue. However, Ah Rou shook her head once more. She was in a state of panic. Even if she knew she could leave this place tomorrow and go to the Taihe Hall to inform the emperor about everything, she couldnt speak at the moment. She didnt know if she would be able to speak tomorrow or what would become of her. The reason for the empresss downfall was because her child was lost, and if the deposed empress learns the truth, she will undoubtedly reveal it. The more people who know that persons secret, even if she dies, someone else will be able to speak for her. Ah Rou felt that if the person dared to kill her mistress like this, even if she sought the emperors help, she would likely end up dead too. If this matter is not made known tonight, she finds it difficult to calm her restless heart. She pointed to Chun Yue, then to Xin Lan, and then to herself. Finally, she pointed to the empty air beside her. Me, mistress, you, what? Chun Yue was somewhat puzzled. But Xin Lan, who knew the background story, understood what Ah Rou wanted to say. You want to talk about your mistress? Ah Rou nodded desperately, then used her hand to trace across her own neck. Dead? Once again, Ah Rou nodded, her eyes filled with a sorrowful expression. Lady Liu is dead? Xin Lan feigned a look of astonishment, while Chun Yue beside her was genuinely shocked. How did she die? Ah Rou grabbed her own chest, then suddenly collapsed to the ground, only to quickly rise up again. Xin Lan understood that Ah Rou was reenacting the scene, but the cause of death wasnt the most important thing at the moment. She asked out of routine, as there must be a perpetrator involved. Do you know who did it? Ah Rou nodded, swaying and assuming a dancing posture, her eyes locked onto Xin Lan. Concubine Man? Ah Rou froze in her movements. She was already anxious to speak despite her inability, but fortunately, the deposed empress understood her intentions. So, it was her. Xin Lan murmured, not surprised by the revelation. She had been suspecting either Empress Xi or Concubine Man, with Concubine Man being the less likely candidate. The Empress Consort seemed too arrogant to have the audacity for such actions. Xin Lan thought Ah Rou had finished speaking, but she didnt expect Ah Rou to continue gesturing in place. Ah Rou lightly caressed her stomach, indicating something to Xin Lan. The child? No? The rooftop? As Xin Lan guessed the last option, Ah Rou shook her head and walked outside, pointing at the sky. The sky? Ah Rou nodded and repeated the three gestures. The child, no, the sky The child isnt the emperors? Xin Lan connected the dots, her eyes widening slightly. This This green?1 Chun Yue covered her mouth in shock. This is just too Upon seeing Xin Lans understanding, Ah Rou nodded with joy. However, realizing that they seemed to have misunderstood something again, she quickly waved her hands, her face turning red from the urgency, and tears on the verge of spilling. Take your time, dont rush. Xin Lans thoughts were racing. She speculated that Concubine Liu had engaged in an exciting affair with a wild man, resulting in her pregnancy. She likely wanted to get rid of the child but was discovered by Concubine Man. As a result, Concubine Man used this information to blackmail Concubine Liu, threatening to expose her pregnancy and frame the original owner of the body. However, if that were the case, Concubine Man wouldnt have had a reason to kill Concubine Liu. Therefore, there must be hidden motives behind this incident. Only if Concubine Liu posed a threat to Concubine Mans position would she resort to such extreme measures. It was impossible for Concubine Liu to threaten Concubine Mans status, so it could only mean that Concubine Liu knew something she shouldnt have. Ah Rou took a deep breath. Since she couldnt communicate in sign language, she had to rely on her own understanding to explain, word by word. Concubine Man captured your mistress? From Ah Rous gestures, Xin Lan grasped the sequence of events. Concubine Man had captured Concubine Liu and subjected her to such treatment that resulted in her pregnancy. Then, they planned to use the child in Concubine Lius womb to deal with the original owner. It was a chain of interconnected schemes, not particularly clever in terms of methods, but rather astonishing due to its unexpected nature. After all, this was the emperors harem, and forcing an Imperial Consort to engage in relations with someone else, and then using the presence of an illegitimate child to eliminate rivalsit was beyond imagination. If it werent for Ah Rous appearance, Xin Lan wouldnt have thought of it that way. After all, according to everyones conventional thinking, the motives are usually attributed to jealousy or other psychological factors. No one had ever questioned whether the child truly carried royal blood. Ah Rou gestured again twice, then reluctantly dropped her hand. She held her head, looking utterly bewildered. Xin Lan approached and gently patted her shoulder, urging her to relax. Is there more to say? Ah Rou lifted her head, tears streaming down her face as she nodded. But you couldnt gesture it out? Ah Rou nodded, clutching onto Xin Lans sleeve, feeling utterly helpless. Its okay, dont worry. Ive already gathered some information. Rest well for now, stay hidden with me. Well see how your throat is tomorrow. Ah Rou could only nod in response. Chun Yue, let her sleep with you tonight. Chun Yue nodded, suddenly being confronted with such a significant piece of news left her feeling dizzy and unable to regain her composure. Xin Lan lay down on the bed, but sleep eluded her. Concubine Man, Liu Min, and the secret that Ah Rou knew but couldnt articulate at the moment. It must be a tremendous and intriguing secret that compelled Concubine Man to be cautious. Xin Lan felt that she had already figured out the general idea of the secret, giving her a sense of certainty. However, after daybreak, news of Liu Mins incident would likely spread, and she didnt care about the methods Concubine Man would employ to deal with Xin Lan. What she cared about was how Ah Rou would go about spreading the truth. Before Ah Rou appeared, Concubine Man must be frantically searching for her to silence her. But this was the palace, not the emperor himself, and there was no legitimate reason to discreetly locate and eliminate someone without raising any alarms. It wouldnt be such an easy task. However, Xin Lan believed that Concubine Man must have someone by the emperors side. If Ah Rou, who currently can only communicate through gestures, were to be brought before the emperor, he would definitely keep her by his side. However, the safety of Ah Rou would not be guaranteed. If Concubine Man knew that Ah Rou was with the emperor, having a target would make it much easier for her to take action. Xin Lan wasnt sure if she was overestimating Concubine Man, but she knew that it was better to err on the side of caution. One must not underestimate the danger. However, if they could keep Ah Rou hidden for another four or five days, the situation would change. Timing was crucial, and it would be best if Ah Rou could start speaking as early as tomorrow. This matter can be discussed, but Ah Rou must distance herself completely. Otherwise, if any association with the Xin family is discovered, the credibility of Ah Rous words in the emperors mind will be compromised, and it wont be favorable. Human suspicion can be strange at times, as true things can be perceived as false, and fabrications can be accepted as truth. They must find a way to treat Ah Rous throat with medicine, but where can they obtain such medicine? Zero Nine: Does the host plan to eliminate Concubine Man? I thought you would keep her until the end. Concubine Man is a princess from another country, and her status is quite delicate. It may work during times of political goodwill, but once the relationship sours, it becomes exceptionally awkward. The emperor is preoccupied with internal troubles and wont actively seek external troubles, but that doesnt mean external troubles wont come to him. From Xin Lans perspective, for now, Concubine Man may be working towards the same goal as her, but Concubine Mans actions have a broader impact, something Xin Lan absolutely doesnt want to see. Concubine Man is a difficult chess piece to handle. Abandoning her would be a waste, but using her might result in the blade cutting oneself. After careful consideration, Xin Lan decides to disrupt the balance within the palace and, using the emperors hand, eliminate one problem first. After all, in a certain sense, Concubine Man is also one of the people responsible for harming the original owner. Although losing in the palace struggle means losing, it doesnt mean Xin Lan cannot fight back. The emperor would never tolerate what Concubine Man has done if he were to find out. Right now, hes balancing power and slowly eradicating the influence of the Xin family, which is already quite exhausting. However, this move could set off a chain reaction, and Xin Lan doesnt know if the emperor will seize the opportunity to shift blame and divert attention. Xin Lan presses her temple, firming her resolve. No detail should be overlooked, and the root and essence of the matter must be thoroughly investigated. She needs to take matters into her own hands. She flipped out of the window and, employing her lightness skill, quietly disappeared into the vast darkness, leaving the palace behind. Meanwhile, upon hearing the report from her servant, Concubine Man clenched the teacup tightly, causing cracks to appear on its surface. It shattered on the table, spilling the tea and leaving a mess in its wake. That girl has no sense of timing at all, and neither do you! Useless! Cant even catch up to a maid. She must know about her mistress secrets. We must find her, Concubine Man said, her beautiful face displaying a hint of ferocity. Despite the rage in her heart, her voice remained soft and gentle. She had no idea that their private conversation had been inadvertently witnessed by Liu Pin, who happened to be resting near the artificial mountain. Concubine Man initially intended to take action, but then she came up with a better plan. For so many years, the harem had not produced a single child, and she could take some credit for it. Continuing her actions would inevitably raise the Emperors suspicions. Instead, she decided to have a lower-ranking concubine give birth to a child who wasnt of royal blood. This way, someone would be visibly pregnant, allowing the Emperor to breathe a sigh of relief and shift his attention elsewhere. Everything was progressing as she had planned, but she never expected that despicable woman to secretly attempt to terminate the pregnancy. This was unacceptable. However, the bowl of medicine had already been consumed, and there was no way to salvage the situation. So she took the opportunity to bribe someone, who would then claim that the Empress was responsible. Seizing the opportunity, she provided the Emperor with a reason to depose the Empress. Although the Xin family was unlikely to join forces with her, she decided to weaken them first. But to her surprise, the Xin family had a trick up their sleeve. This time, apart from driving Xin Lan away, she had gained nothing. Apologies for the previous error. Thank you for correcting it. Heres the corrected translation: Her plans had been disrupted, and she was displeased with Liu Pin. To her surprise, Liu Pin had grown bold and now wanted to turn the tables and threaten her instead. Concubine Man forced herself to calm down and sent a few people to continue searching. In case the truth was exposed, she had her own ways to handle it. However, it meant she would have to remain inactive for many days. She was filled with worry, and Ah Rou, the person she had in mind, was equally restless. Ah Rou lay in bed, eyes wide open, devoid of any sleepiness. Her body felt stiff, despite the sweltering summer, and she couldnt shake off the sensation of chilling cold running through her. Chun Yue lay beside her, also devoid of any sleepiness. The mistress had changed a lot, and Chun Yue, who had served her closely for four years, couldnt fathom how she had become so different. She had become more formidable, more enigmatic, and Chun Yue couldnt help but feel a sense of unfamiliarity and fear. The changes began when they moved to the Cold Palace. Chun Yue speculated that perhaps the mistress had experienced some sort of shock, which explained her increasingly peculiar behavior. Whether it was her awareness of Hua Hua secretly conspiring against the mistress, or the sudden disappearance from the room only to reappear with a man, or even today, when she unexpectedly went out and returned with a maid from Liu Pins side. Chun Yue, who had been accompanying the mistress all along, suddenly realized that she had unknowingly become ignorant about many things. But what she did understand was that the mistress had become even more formidable than before, regardless of the perspective. Chun Yue closed her eyes, deciding not to dwell on it. It was futile to think too much. She would just follow the mistresss instructions. Following the route provided by Zero Nine, Xin Lan set off towards her destination. Shang An drifted in and out of sleep, but he couldnt shake the feeling that someone was watching him. He opened his eyes and met a pair of pitch-black eyes, causing him to jolt awake in fear. Before him stood a person wearing a mask, most likely a woman judging by her figure. Although he had not yet married, having a masked woman barge into his room in the middle of the night was quite peculiar. Nonetheless, his heart couldnt help but beat faster. I wonder what brings you to my room at such a late hour, young lady? What medicine should one use for a sore throat? Do you happen to know? Xin Lan not only wore a mask but also deliberately changed her voice when she asked the question. Her voice, originally gentle with a hint of sharpness, now transformed into a distinct mature and authoritative tone. I know. I am a doctor. Are you here to buy medicine? It seemed quite peculiar for someone to come and buy medicine in the middle of the night while wearing a mask, but as long as they werent stealing or robbing, Shang An chose to intentionally overlook it. Yes, could you please prepare it for me? The payment will not be lacking in silver coins. What caused the injury? I was grabbed by the throat and couldnt shout, so now I cant produce any sound. As Xin Lan spoke, Shang An felt a slight chill run down his spine. Just as he had started to feel a bit intimidated, the girls cold gaze startled him. I will go and fetch the medicinal ingredients for brewing the medicine. If the injury isnt too severe, taking the medicine should lead to recovery within a day or two. Xin Lan nodded. She had originally intended to find someone at the Imperial Medical Bureau, but Concubine Xi was there with her entourage, so she decided against it. Shang An trembled as he carefully gathered and brewed the medicine, feeling the presence of those eyes constantly lingering behind him. The scalding hot medicinal concoction couldnt be conveniently taken away in a bowl, so Shang An found a wine flask and poured the medicine into it. Thank you. Xin Lan left some silver coins as she prepared to depart. Shang An held the money that was much more than the cost of the medicine, looking at the closed door and feeling puzzled in his heart. However, he was never one to dwell on things, so he quickly discarded his outer robe, collapsed onto the bed, and resumed sleeping. Xin Lan swiftly returned to the palace with the wine flask in hand. She softly called out to Ah Rou and noticed that Ah Rou quickly got up, appearing as if she hadnt been asleep at all. Abandoned Empress 06 Drink it once its warmed up. Xin Lan handed over the wine flask, and Ah Rou accepted it with astonishment. I had someone secretly help me at the Imperial Medical Bureau. Hopefully, it will be effective. Ah Rou glanced at her gratefully, although her face was not clearly visible in the dim night. As she held the flask, feeling the warmth that still lingered, Ah Rou felt a tinge of guilt in her heart. Her determination grew stronger. Her mistress was innocent, the deposed empress was innocent, and only Concubine Man was the culprit. She must reveal everything and seek justice from the Emperor. Xin Lan, on the other hand, lay back on the bed without much expression, covering herself with the blanket. Feeling tired, she fell asleep. The medicine Ah Rou drank at night indeed had an effect. She could already speak, albeit with a soft voice. Chun Yue brought her hot water to soothe her throat. Si Tong was curious about the addition of another person when she woke up, and she quietly asked Chun Yue what was going on. As Chun Yue and Si Tong discussed the events of last night, Ah Rou entered the room with Xin Lan and narrated the sequence of events. On that day, Concubine Liu went out for a stroll, wanting to be alone without too many people accompanying her. So, she only took Ah Rou along. While they were on the way, Concubine Liu realized that her beloved sachet had gone missing, perhaps brushed off by the branches in the garden. Ah Rou quickly went back to search for it, while Concubine Liu rested by the artificial mountain. It was during this brief respite that Concubine Liu unintentionally overheard a conversation between Concubine Man and someone else. She didnt recognize the other person, but when she tried to leave, Concubine Man noticed her. That day, this servant searched for a long time to find mistress. She was in a daze, standing there with a pale face. After returning, she clung to me and cried incessantly without mentioning what had happened. Later, mistress started experiencing excessive sleepiness and nausea, becoming restless. She finally confided in me about everything. However, we dont know how Concubine Man learned about mistress pregnancy. She went to mistress residence and threatened her, forbidding her from getting an abortion and planning to make it widely known. Mistress had no choice Empress, my mistress is also innocent. Please dont blame her. Ah Rou spoke slowly but tried her best to make herself clear. Her mistress was gone, and she had to avenge her. Ah Rou revealed the secret that Concubine Liu accidentally overheard from Concubine Man, which aligned with Xin Lans speculation. Looking at Xin Lans expressionless face, Ah Rou couldnt help feeling a sense of unease. If Im not mistaken, today the news of your mistress death will spread throughout the palace. Ah Rou felt a pang in her heart upon hearing those words, and her nose tingled with a bitter, uncomfortable feeling. Thank you, Empress, for saving me last night. I will now go to the Taihe Hall and report everything to the Emperor. You havent said it all. What do you mean? Concubine Liu didnt just overhear a secret. Remember what Im about to say and add it in. Listen carefully. Ah Rou nodded in confusion, listening as Xin Lan added a few unsettling words. What does it mean for the entire harem to have no other choice, with only her being pregnant, carrying the child of their great Qingguo? These simple sentences, combined with the previous hints of treason, outlined a stunning conspiracy. You want to seek revenge for your mistress, dont you? Ah Rou nodded. Then remember it well. What Concubine Liu heard that day was precisely those words. You didnt enter the Jade Moon Palace yesterday; instead, you casually spent the night in an uninhabited place. Understand? I understand, Ah Rou replied. Go. Xin Lan watched as Ah Rou glanced left and right, then hurriedly walked out of the gates of the Jade Moon Palace. Xin Lan had Si Tong close the doors of the palace and sat in her own room, keeping an eye with Zero Nine. After completing the morning court session, Qu Zhian intended to leave, but she was stopped by the Emperors trusted eunuch. Her steps halted, knowing she couldnt escape now. These past two days, she had been pretending not to notice, smoothly deflecting the Emperors ambiguous words and actions, all the while secretly preparing an exit strategy for herself. The imperial power was unpredictable, and the fact that the Emperor had intentions of using her unsettled her. When she thought about it, she felt annoyed. These past nights, she inexplicably found herself thinking about Xin Lan, which made her dislike the Emperor even more. But she still had to maintain her facade. When the Emperor summoned her, it was undoubtedly to discuss matters concerning the nation. Qu Zhian sighed inwardly but still gathered her spirits. Setting aside everything else, she was naturally willing to serve her country. Qu Zhian and Wu Yanqing walked together on their way back to the study, quietly discussing their perspectives on the disaster. Due to heavy rainfall, the southern region was plagued by floods. River banks were breached, and many people were displaced. Normally, the process would involve opening granaries for disaster relief, but in that area, bandits roamed freely, and the local government officials were neglecting their duties. The suffering of the people went unheard until it became unbearable and was finally reported up the chain, prompting Wu Yanqing to unleash his fury. Zhian, tell me, who should We send? I believe Your Majesty already has a suitable candidate in mind. Well, take a guess then. Qu Zhian pretended to contemplate, but in reality, she had only recently entered official service, and many intricate relationships were still only partially understood by her. However, she could discern what belonged to the Emperor and what had its own intentions. If I guess wrong, Your Majesty, please dont jest with me. I suspect it is Lord Qiu. Zhian, youre truly remarkable. Your guess aligns with Our thoughts. Qu Zhian tugged at the corners of her mouth, forcing a smile. Qiu Pei was indeed one of the scholars who took the examination at the same time as her. Although he didnt rank in the top three, he was still outstanding. He had a principled character. When they were in the academy, Qu Zhian got along well with him, considering him a close friend. Qiu Pei had a somewhat rigid personality, and if he were sent to assist with disaster relief, he would handle matters diligently. He was upright and wouldnt casually deceive or manipulate like some others. Moreover, the most crucial factor was that Qiu Pei was a person favored by the Emperor. Among the newly appointed officials, apart from a few exceptions, they were individuals like her and Qiu Pei, filled with enthusiasm to pledge loyalty to the Emperor and serve the country. If it werent for the incident she experienced that day, she might have regarded him as a wise ruler, but unfortunately, it wasnt the case. Someone ran over from a short distance away, and the imperial guards quickly assumed a defensive posture, ready to protect. Wu Yanqing halted and recognized the somewhat familiar palace maid. Plea for His Majestys intervention on behalf of my mistress. Without a second word, the palace maid immediately knelt down and knocked her head on the ground twice. Her voice was very soft, and Wu Yanqing could barely hear her. Come forward. Who is your mistress? As the palace maid lifted her head, Wu Yanqing noticed the bruises on her neck, resembling strangulation marks. He realized that this matter was likely extraordinary, so he didnt make her wait and called her to approach. My mistress is Lady Liu, who was killed by Concubine Man last night in the palace. Even Wu Yanqing couldnt help but be stunned by the revelation. Follow Us and explain clearly. Wu Yanqings expression turned cold. He remembered now. When Lady Liu was pregnant, he often visited her and indeed saw this maid frequently. When Lady Liu had a miscarriage, this maid was by her side, but it was another person who had been subjected to harsh interrogation. Upon hearing about the royal matter, Qu Zhians heart skipped a beat. She thought of the maids mention of Lady Liu and then recalled that cold, beautiful face. Come to think of it, she wondered how Lady Liu fared in the cold palace and whether the Emperor had made another move against her. In that case, Your Majesty, I shall take my leave. Although Qu Zhian was eager to stay and listen to the cause and effect of this matter, she knew what she could and couldnt hear. Moreover, this was a matter of the inner palace catching fire, and it would be inappropriate for an outsider like her to observe. As expected, the Emperor didnt ask her to stay either. He hurriedly went to the study with the maid. Qu Zhian started walking back but didnt leave quickly. Instead, she walked slowly, contemplating something in her mind. The study. Wu Yanqing had all the palace attendants retreat, leaving only him and Ah Ruo. Explain the matter to Us in detail. Ah Ruo nodded and began recounting the story from the beginning. She emphasized the inhumane treatment Lady Liu endured and the loss of her child. Initially, my mistress wanted to end her life, but Concubine Man threatened her. She said that if my mistress dared to seek death, Concubine Man would influence you, Your Majesty, and take action against her family. My mistress became frightened and tried to endure each day, but she grew more and more haggard. My mistress couldnt bear it any longer. After each time you visited her, she would wash her face with tears in her room, tormented in her heart. So, she planned to miscarry the child, pretending it was an accidental fall resulting in a miscarriage. However, Concubine Man wouldnt allow it. She insisted on framing the Empress the deposed Empress Consort, and that maid was also arranged by Concubine Man. Last night, my mistress suddenly collapsed from the bed. I suspect it was because she lost the child. My mistress knew her secret was exposed, so she struck back, taking a life. I wanted to go out and report the incident, but that conniving maid, Alan, restrained me. You see, the marks on my neck are from her grip. Later, I struggled desperately and managed to escape. Matron Dong, who serves Concubine Man, even chased after me. I saw her face clearly. Afterward, I dont know where I ended up. I hid in a room overnight and as soon as I woke up, I hurriedly came to find Your Majesty. What secret? Wu Yanqings face turned ashen when Ah Ruo mentioned the origin of Lady Lius child. How audacious! He, an Emperor, had someone daring enough to cuckold him like this. On that day, my mistress overheard Concubine Man talking to a man, possibly a high-ranking official in the court. They mentioned something about a Tiger Seal and the Southwest, as well as Ziyi and other places. I cant recall the exact details. But my mistress said that Concubine Man and that man spoke about the firstborn dragon son of Your Majesty, who would be born from her womb. They planned to bear a prince for the Daqing Kingdom effortlessly Ah Rou continued, her body trembling involuntarily, almost afraid to lift her head and look at the Emperors expression. She remembered what the deposed Empress Consort had warned her about being cautious in her words, not revealing too much, and preferably being evasive. What do you mean by easily? Wu Yanqings face darkened, shifting from anger to rage. Being made a cuckold was already a great humiliation, an intolerable offense. Its an effortless task to seize the Wu Kingdom, which requires for Your Majesty to this servant dare not say further, Ah Rou stuttered. Are every one of your words true? Wu Yanqing stood with his hands behind his back, his eyes filled with a deep shadow. Every word this servant speak is true. I dare not utter a single false statement. If this servant speak falsely, let heaven strike me with thunder, condemning me to fall into the depths of Avci1, never to be reincarnated. Ah Rou clenched her teeth, making a solemn oath. She trembled in fear, realizing she had spoken falsehoods. However, the thought of her mistress, who suffered an unexplained and dishonorable death, strengthened her resolve. What does it matter if I descend into hell, as long as my masters vengeance is avenged? she thought. Meanwhile, Xin Lan, whose broadcast continued, maintained a calm and composed demeanor. Hearing Zero-Nines description of Emperor Wus grim expression amused her. Ah Rou wouldnt have to face damnation. After all, she wasnt blindly speculating but rather piecing together the puzzle with logical connections. The truth was likely not far from what she had revealed. However, just half a month ago, during Concubine Mans visit, Xin Lan had scanned her with no signs of pregnancy. But within half a month, who knew what she could have done? Emperor Wu pressed his throbbing temple and instructed someone to escort Ah Rou away. Excellent. He had long known that those sleeping beside him were not ordinary. Each had their own ulterior motives. Yet, he never expected someone with such grand ambitions, daring to harbor intentions against his throne. As Emperor Wu stepped out, his face regained its usual composure. He proceeded toward Yunxi Palace, wearing a faint smile. Upon entering the palace, his countenance bore a hint of amusement. Concubine Mans heart was unsettled. When she heard the announcement of the Emperors arrival, she forced a smile. However, as she turned to face the Emperor, her eyes glistened like water, and she leaned against him with a serpentine grace, displaying her former sweet smile. What wind has blown Your Majesty here so early in the morning to visit this humble concubine? she coyly remarked. We have heard an interesting piece of news. Beloved concubine, would you like to hear it? Emperor Wu embraced the beauty leaning against him, leaning slightly closer, their faces almost touching. His fingers traced across her fair neck. His voice carried a hint of amusement, resembling the tender words shared between lovers. Yet, beneath his gaze, lay an eternal icy coldness. Emperor Wu was a force to be reckoned with. Once he made a move, it would be a grand spectacle. The people from Concubine Mans palace were escorted out for investigation. A squadron of imperial guards entered Yunxi Palace, commencing a thorough search. Meanwhile, a court physician was summoned into Yunxi Palace. Concubine Man shrank slightly before the Emperor, her hands covering her belly. She hadnt expected that her thoughts would be so clearly understood by this man. But she distinctly remembered not uttering a word about any children from the imperial harem. She definitely hadnt! How could the Emperor know about all her plans? After meticulously arranging her chess pieces for three to four years, would everything crumble to ruins just like that? You had better speak the truth about this matter. If it turns out that the child in your womb is not Ours, Emperor Wu chuckled coldly, not only will you endure further interrogation, but you shall also experience the fate reserved for unfaithful women, one by one. Concubine Mans complexion turned pale as she watched the Emperors departing figure, his sleeves fluttering. She slumped to the ground, utterly dejected. How did it come to this? How did it all turn out like this? Just yesterday, her plans were progressing smoothly. It was merely an oversight with a maid, and yet she was treated in such a manner. Concubine Man clenched her fists, as if suddenly realizing something, and let out a self-deprecating laugh. In truth, from the very beginning, the Emperor had never trusted her, had he? Thats why he didnt bother investigating; he simply jumped to conclusions. Whether she had actually done it or not, it seemed the Emperor didnt care. Just as she had once laid her hands on Xin Lan, the Emperor treated Xin Lan the same way. Regardless of the truth, he didnt care at all; he only cared about the outcome he saw. How foolish she had been to think that she had captivated this man, to make him indulge in her allure. How laughable. It seems that those in power are all so heartless. Whether its her husband or her father, who is far away in Daqing. Concubine Man is an intelligent person, and she has already envisioned her own fate. If news of her current situation reaches her father, he would probably consider her a discarded chess piece. As a princess married off to a distant land, what meaning is there in being rescued? Both of them are discarded pawns, but Xin Lan has only fallen to the Cold Palace, while Concubine Mans plight is likely even more miserable. Concubine Man caressed her stomach, her eyes filled with determination. A good show is about to begin. Xin Lan, upon hearing the broadcast, made this comment. It seems that Wu Yanqing, that person, treats not only the original host this way, but perhaps everyone. But some people deserve it, while others are incredibly innocent. Concubine Man is a clever and ruthless woman, adept at hidden schemes and often criticized for her actions, but her character still holds a certain resilience, displaying an unexpected level of composure. Shes a smart individual, but sadly on a divergent path. From Xin Lans current position, Concubine Man is seen as a treacherous traitor, even though she originally belonged to the Daqing Kingdom. However, since she married into Wu Kingdom, she should be considered a Wu citizen and involving herself in such devious schemes is highly unfavorable. Xin Lan despises traitors with an intense passion. Motivated by her military determination, she loathes those who betray their country, especially considering that it was due to the Empires betrayal that she had to resort to her final measures. Suddenly, Xin Lan thought of something and instructed Zero Nine to closely monitor Ah Rou. Knowing such a monumental secret, considering the Emperors temperament, it is unlikely that she will be allowed to survive. If theres any possibility of saving her, then lets try. Within the palace, everything changed in an instant. A few days ago, Concubine Liu, who had a miscarriage, tragically died in her own bed, evoking a deep sense of lamentation. As for Concubine Man, who was once favored, its unclear what she did to anger the Emperor, but she has been confined within the Yunxi Palace. All the palace maids by her side were taken away, and the Imperial Guards stand watch at the entrance. At such a time, the Imperial Concubine wisely avoided getting involved and stayed obediently in her own palace. Xin Long received instructions from Xin Lan to stay quietly in the palace and refrained from asking the Emperor about what had happened. Although she is the Empress, its evident that she hasnt yet gained control over the inner court. The Phoenix Seal is in her possession, but its still the Imperial Concubine who whispers various things in her ear. Concubine Xi, who usually keeps to herself, remained silent as well. In the harem, an atmosphere of self-preservation arose, with everyone obediently behaving like quails. Wu Yanqing angrily threw the searched items to the ground, while the kneeling Imperial Physician kept his head lowered, wishing to pretend he didnt exist. How cunning Concubine Man is, what ambitions she has for the Daqing Kingdom. Wu Yanqing couldnt help but laugh bitterly as he looked at the smashed cosmetics before him. It was said that those things could cause damage to a mans private parts, yet every time he went to Concubine Mans palace, her secret chambers were filled with that fragrant substance. He used to think it was just for pleasure, but now he realizes it was all malevolent intent. Fortunately, it was the maid of Concubine Liu who revealed the truth to him; otherwise, he wouldnt have known how long he would have been kept in the dark. However, some things are better left unknown by unimportant individuals. Meian, where is the maid of Concubine Liu? Your Majesty, she is in the side hall. Shall I summon her for you? No need, send someone to handle it. Yes, Your Majesty. Meanwhile, within the Jade Moon Palace, Chun Yue handed Xin Lan a piece of paper. Mistress, someone gave this to you. Xin Lan unfolded the paper and saw nine words written on it. The harem has changed, how have you been lately? There was no signature, but Xin Lan thought it must be from that person. Qu Zhian, she silently recited the name in her heart. CH 32 Abandoned Empress 07 Xin Lan didnt expect Qu Zhian to pass her a note asking about her well-being, and she was somewhat surprised. Since that day, they hadnt contacted each other again. For Xin Lan, she saw Qu Zhian as someone useful, someone who could greatly assist her and weaken the Emperors power. However, she couldnt claim her as her own for the time being. Qu Zhian had just stepped into the political arena as a rising star, and her foundation was still unstable. Whether she stayed or left depended entirely on the Emperors will. Those old-fashioned officials, especially the Xin family, definitely didnt want her to establish herself here. Speaking of the Xin family, Xin Lan naturally had no emotional attachment to that family, but she didnt despise them either. It was true that the Xin family had abandoned the original host as if she were a discarded child, but from a strategic standpoint, it was an inevitable choice. As Xin Lan had previously said, it was reasonable but not sentimental. Moreover, Lady Xin had entered the palace and sent money, and she also sent someone over, instructing Xin Long to listen to her. It wasnt as if they turned a blind eye or a deaf ear. In summary, the Xin family didnt owe anything to the original host because in the beginning, Wu Yanqing was chosen as a husband by the original host herself, not arranged by the Xin family. With the support of the Xin family, the original host could enjoy her glory. But it was also because of this that she had to swallow her grievances disguised as love. The complex relationship between them couldnt be explained in just a few words, and Xin Lan didnt consider the Xin family as her own backing. The Xin familys goal has never changed: to place an Empress in the harem, give birth to or raise a Prince, and then support that Prince to ascend the throne, allowing the Xin family to continue enjoying glory. Regardless of who the Empress is, as long as they are someone who the Xin family can trust and work together with. But based on the current situation, Xin Long doesnt have that capability yet, and the Emperor is actively trying to impregnate higher-ranked concubines like the Imperial Consort or Xi Fei. If a child is born from them, he can find a way to prevent the child from going to Xin Long. The Xin family may appear flourishing now, but they are actually in great danger. The Emperor has been on the throne for four years, and for the past two years, his actions have become more significant, resulting in the purge of many members of the Xin family. A single move can affect the entire situation. This chess game doesnt look favorable, but there must be a way to break through. Xin Lans thinking is similar to that of the Xin family. She intends to restrain the Emperor and force him to abdicate. There are plenty of children within the royal family who can inherit the throne, so there is no need to worry about a lack of successors. Their paths are the same. Xin Lan has a reason for the Xin family to support her, but relying solely on the Xin family is not enough. The Emperor is deeply wary of the Xin family. It must be someone he trusts, catching him off guard. There is no better candidate than Qu Zhian, but Qu Zhian has no reason to join forces with Xin Lan against the Emperor. Convincing her is also a problem. The Emperor indeed has ill intentions towards Qu Zhian, but because of Xin Lans intervention, his actions have been unsuccessful. Rebellion is a serious crime, and its not something that can be easily accomplished. Even if the Xin family has the desire, they lack the courage to carry it out. Xin Lan held an embroidered handkerchief, calculating in her mind. Qu Zhian, the Xin family, the Emperor, and military powereach link in this chain was essential. If she wanted to achieve something significant, none of these factors could be missing. Taking a deep breath, Xin Lan reminded herself not to act too hastily. Speaking of politics, its more troublesome than fighting. Tactical maneuvers are much more interesting than plotting, but she has grown accustomed to it, becoming more and more familiar with the intricacies. A soft sigh dissipated in the wind as Xin Lan touched the piece of paper, tucking it away in her embrace. At that moment, Zero Nine alerted her in her mind. Zero Nine: Theyre targeting Ah Rou! Xin Lans brows furrowed, she inquired about the whereabouts and the identity of the threat, and had Zero Nine calculate the chances of a successful rescue. If it was someone sent by the Emperor himself, it might be difficult to find an opportunity to save Ah Rou. From the very beginning, Xin Lan had considered this possibility, but she still watched as Ah Rou left. The potential risks of this matter far outweigh what can be revealed. Xin Lan speculated that the Xin family might encounter some trouble ahead, especially if Wu Yanqing acted as she anticipated. Fortunately, things hadnt reached the worst-case scenario. The Eunuch only instructed his subordinates to carry out the task. With the Emperors approval, disposing of a palace maid discreetly within the palace was simple, but the body couldnt be left behind. Si Tong, Chun Yue. Xin Lan called the two maidservants over and gave them an order. After listening, both nodded and left the Jade Moon Palace. The summer sunlight bathed the green bricks and red tiles, warming the surroundings. Ah Rou followed the Eunuch, feeling confused. Eunuch Mei had suddenly approached her, saying that there were some things she needed to see, possibly belonging to her mistress. So she followed the person who led her. She initially thought she was going to see her mistress and felt relieved. After all, she had hurriedly escaped last night and had been confined to a side hall after reporting the information to the Emperor. She hadnt been able to return and see her mistress yet. At least she wanted to witness her mistress being laid to rest. However, as she walked, she realized that this wasnt the way back but a different and unfamiliar path. Eunuch, where are we going? she asked. Just follow along. Do you think Ill lead you astray? the Eunuch replied impatiently. Ah Rou immediately fell silent, recalling that this Eunuch was appointed by Eunuch Mei to guide her. The Eunuchs eyes grew sinister. It wasnt suitable to carry the corpse out in broad daylight. Discarding it in a well would suffice. After all, there were several secluded palaces in the imperial residence where no one resided. How many restless spirits were trapped in the depths of their wells, no one knew. Ah Rou was brought to a place she had never been before, where weeds grew in the corners. The Eunuch standing there urged her to enter. Hesitant, Ah Rou took two steps and wanted to turn back and inquire, but she felt a sharp pain in the back of her neck and collapsed to the ground. The Eunuch coldly snorted upon seeing her reaction and began fetching ropes and stones. He tied the stones to her feet and bound her hands and legs. One end of the stone had already fallen into the well. The young Eunuch pushed her into the well, and a sound of something heavy splashing into the water echoed from below. He turned and walked away. After he left, Chun Yue and Si Tong hurriedly ran over. Si Tong also went to find a rope. Since the rope wasnt long enough, she had to tie one end to Chun Yue and the other end to her own waist. Chun Yue would go down to untie the ropes from Ah Rous body while Si Tong would pull from above. Will you be able to hold it? How about I go down and you stay up here? Chunyue worriedly suggested. Its alright, Sister Chun Yue. I used to do farm work back home. Dont judge me by my appearance; Im quite strong, Si Tong assured her. Chun Yue nodded, no longer hesitating, and descended into the well to rescue Ah Rou. A putrid stench filled the air inside the well, almost overwhelming Chun Yue. Judging by the Eunuchs demeanor, it seemed that he had done this before. Perhaps many lives had been lost in this well. Fortunately, the well wasnt very deep. Chun Yue caught sight of Ah Rous half-submerged head on the waters surface. Ah Rou was initially unconscious, but the splash of water upon entering the well startled her awake. Though her mouth was gagged, she looked at the light streaming into the well, feeling a sense of despair. However, when she noticed someone preparing to rescue her, excitement surged within her. Chun Yue helped untie the ropes from Ah Rous hands, and Ah Rou removed the cloth from her mouth before proceeding to free herself from the ropes around her feet. Chun Yue went up first and then lowered the rope for them. Together, they pulled Ah Rou up. Im glad you came, Ah Rou said. Well talk about that later. Lets hurry back for now. It wouldnt be good if someone saw us, Chun Yue urged. Ah Rou nodded, and the three of them quickly returned to Jade Moon Palace. Fortunately, the palace was a secluded Cold Palace tucked away in a corner. Otherwise, it would have been much more challenging to navigate the roads. Mistress, weve brought her back. Good job bringing her back. Have her sit down and calm down. Xin Lan nodded. Throughout the journey, she had the system track Ah Rous location and speculate about their destination. Zero Nine calculated dozens of possible locations. Xin Lan believed that if someone intended to kill, they would likely dispose of the body. An inconspicuous well seemed like the best choice. She had Zero Nine eliminate various route options, finally settling on one location and instructing Chun Yue and Si Tong to proceed there and wait. Sure enough, it was the right place. Chun Yue had also gotten wet from going down the well, so she told Xin Lan that she would go wash and change clothes in the back. Hey, Chun Yue, dont you think our mistress is a genius? How did she know Ah Rou was there? You silly girl, didnt someone give our mistress a note? Chun Yue scooped water from the bucket and smiled at Si Tong as she spoke. Si Tong nodded and stopped asking further questions. What did this imply? It meant that there were people supporting our mistress on the Emperors side. How impressive! Xin Lan was unaware of the thoughts running through the two maids minds. But even if they didnt think that way, she wouldnt explain it to them. One advantage of being alone was that there wouldnt be anyone prying and asking endless questions. When there were people she could rely on, she didnt need to do everything herself, avoiding spreading herself too thin. Xin Lan quite liked this hierarchical relationship of command, where whatever she said, those below would obey without questioning too much. Ah Rou in front of her still appeared shaken, soaked from head to toe. She hadnt even sat down, trembling slightly. Are you afraid? Ah Rou nodded. If I hadnt received the news in time to save you today, you would be dead. Thank you, Empress, for saving my life. Ah Rou knelt down and bowed her head. I only ask you one question: If you had known this morning that going out could mean you might not return, would you still have gone? Yes. Ah Rou replied with certainty. She had already avenged her mistress. Concubine Man had been confined, with no hope of turning the tables. Although Ah Rou couldnt bear to see her die, she knew the Emperor would not spare her. However, even if the Emperor knew that the deposed Empress was innocent, there was no way to go back. After all, the position of Empress already had an occupant. Ah Rou was unaware of the power struggles within the court and the complexities surrounding them. She simply sighed with resignation. You cant go back now, you are already a dead person. Although official records and such wouldnt be destroyed, in the eyes of the Emperor, this person was already dead. It was certain that she couldnt stay in the harem any longer and had to be sent away. I understand. Do you have any relatives outside the palace? No. Thats good, to avoid trouble. Xin Lan had already made plans and stared at Ah Rou, deep in thought. Ah Rou felt a sense of unease under her gaze and quickly pledged her loyalty. Empress, I was sold into the palace as a servant girl from a young age, and I have always followed my mistress wholeheartedly. Now that my mistress is gone, I have no idea where to go. Empress, you saved my life, you are my benefactor in this life. Whatever you say, I will do. Ah Rou knocked her head twice, expressing her loyalty. Besides serving others, she didnt know how to do anything else. Now that the Emperor regarded her as dead, she couldnt stay in the palace any longer. Ah Rou had no idea where to go from here. All she knew was that the person in front of her must have a solution. Unexplainably, she felt that this exceptionally intelligent person who had saved her twice was considered useless as a deposed Empress, but she found her reliable. Xin Lan was also contemplating. She had a plan in mind, but she didnt know if this servant girl was suitable for it or capable of fulfilling the task. In that brief moment, Xin Lan considered returning to her villainous role. Apart from a few particularly miserable individuals, every villain had hordes of subordinates. There was no need to worry about finding capable individuals in this situation. It wasnt for any specific reason, but simply because she couldnt trust others. Xin Lans level of trust in people was not high, regardless of who they were. It wasnt about a lack of security, but rather a matter of habit. She only had absolute security in her partner, just like the mecha she used to pilot, just like Zero Nine. There are two paths for you to choose, but once you choose, theres no turning back, Xin Lan looked at her as if she wanted to peer into her heart through her eyes. The first path is to leave the palace, leave the capital city, and go wherever you want. Dont come back. Live your life as you wish. The second path is to work for me, but it requires courage. You mustnt fear challenges, and you mustnt hide anything. I demand absolute loyalty. Which path will you choose? One path represented stability, while the other represented the unknown. Xin Lan gave her the choice, and while Ah Rou hesitated, Xin Lan also considered. Zero Nine had already provided information about this person. She wasnt too young, in good health, and had a clean background. Xin Lan didnt need her to do anything significant; she simply needed some things procured for her. Ah Rou bit her lip, caught in a dilemma. How should she choose After leaving, couldnt she find a position as a maid in another place instead of staying in the capital city? Although Ah Rou hadnt experienced many storms in life, she had gone through some events. Being in the palace for a long time, she understood the dynamics of flattery, scheming, and power struggles, which made her both fearful and helpless. Ah Rou and her mistress had similar personalities; they both desired a peaceful and stable life. Ah Rou thought that after leaving, her age was still manageable, and she could serve others. Finding employment wouldnt be difficult. However, leaving her mistresss body behind in this treacherous palace made her feel inexplicably melancholic. But when her thoughts spun in circles, all those concerns faded away when she met those pair of black eyes. Those eyes were tranquil, as if concealing a vast starry skybeautiful yet lonely. They made her feel immensely small and willingly surrender. Ah Rou is willing to follow mistress. Whatever requests you have, Ah Rou will strive to fulfill them. In this lifetime and beyond, I will never waver in loyalty. Ah Rou didnt know how this decision would change her, but she had a feeling that she would regret it if she didnt make this choice. Good. Tonight, I will take you out of the palace and settle you somewhere first. Then, I will let you know what you need to do. Ah Rou nodded, but this time, instead of bowing her head, she performed a deep kneeling ceremony. Xin Lan sat in a chair, her fingers touching the porcelain teacup. She lifted the lid and took a leisurely sip. Xin Lan asked Ah Rou to leave and instructed her to find Chun Yue to change into a new set of clothes. She set down the empty cup and looked around the vacant room. Ancient times were truly boring, she thought. Attending classes from the previous world was more interesting. At least she could listen to some knowledge. As long as she could absorb it, it was quite enjoyable. Here, all she could do was stare into space. She had finished watching the ridiculous drama that Zero Nine recommended and was now looking for other entertaining TV shows. Xin Lan was merely trying to pass the time, but even that amusement had run dry. She felt a sense of boredom, a rare hint of loneliness. Xin Lan thought that next time she could have Zero Nine buy some books and store them in the system space. That way, she could read them when she was bored. If there were VR games available, that would be even better. Xin Lan enjoyed competitive games. The more she pondered, the more bored she became. Xin Lan stood up from her chair. When Xin Lan saved Ah Ruo, she did so with the mindset of do good deeds and dont ask for rewards. After all, she didnt think it would have any impact on her arrangements. But later, she realized that Ah Ruo was a useful person. Zero Nine: Host, are you bored? Xin Lan: A bit. Why? Is there something interesting? Zero Nine: Nothing specific, but I can chat with the host. Xin Lan: Like what? Zero Nine: Gossip, for example, two hosts falling in love, and then one of them cheating while on a mission. Xin Lan: Tsk, thats unfortunate. Zero Nine: Whats even worse is that the person being cheated on doesnt even know. After all, the hosts rarely do missions in the same world. Who would know about infidelity in the mission world? Xin Lan: How do you know then? Xin Lan became slightly interested. It made sense, cheating in a mission world wouldnt affect her real physical body. She could simply let the memories fade away, without worrying about calling out someone elses name while rolling in bed with her loved one. Zero Nine: Its what the host system said, posted on the system forum. Anyway, I dont know who the real person is. Im still reading that thread. It seems like there have been multiple instances of infidelity. I truly feel sorry for the partner of that host. Xin Lan: Cheated and panicked. Zero Nine: Why do some people claim to be in love but can betray others and pretend nothing happened? Setting aside these feudal discussions, Zero Nine has indeed encountered many individuals similar to that unnamed host. It makes one wonder how people can possess such shamelessness. Yet, surprisingly, straightforward individuals are rare, and there are still those who forgive. Zero Nine arrived at this profound theory because of her first host, who was both resurrected and scum. However, all the men she cheated on were willing to take over one after another. Xin Lan: People come in a thousand variations, and the world is full of complexities. Xin Lans character is incapable of such actions. One should always be straightforward. Zero Nine: Host, do you think those people should be forgiven? Xin Lan: If forgiveness feels right, then forgive. Everyone must decide for themselves what is worth it and what is not. Zero Nine: But what if it were you Xin Lan: Would I give them that chance? Zero Nine: Lets assume, just hypothetically. Xin Lan: Playing tricks wont be so easy. Unless they speak up, my name isnt Xin. For some reason, Qu Zhian at home suddenly sneezed. Abandoned Empress 07 She rubbed her nose and felt a bit relieved. Thinking about the note she sent, she wondered if Miss Xin had received it, and if she knew it was from her. She should probably know that she was the one who delivered the message, right? She was so clever, she should find a way to send it back to her. Qu Zhian paced around the room, unsure if that would actually happen. What if the other person didnt think it was necessary? Its hard to say, that person gave her such mixed feelings. She wanted to get closer, but there wasnt a convincing reason in her heart to persuade herself to do so. It felt like a prickly flower, and if she approached forcefully, she might get pricked. She needed to find the right balance between advancing and retreating. Qu Zhian poured herself a glass of cold tea to cool down and decided to leave the courtyard. Even though she was now an official in government service, she still had her old habits. Whenever she arrived at a place, she liked to get a grasp of the situation. For example, the local customs, the climate, the environment, what sells well, and if one wants to engage in business, which aspect would be a good starting point? After strolling around for the entire afternoon and returning home, Qu Zhian found herself laughing at her own recurring problem. So, when night fell and she saw the person knocking on her door, she was still pondering if she had walked too much in the afternoon, exhausting herself to the point of hallucination. Miss Xin! Qu Zhians voice carried surprise, but in the next moment, she realized that this person should absolutely not be appearing here at this time. Whats wrong? Not happy to see me? The visitor was none other than Xin Lan, who had come out with Ah Rou. In order to discuss matters early and not disturb others sweet dreams, Xin Lan had decided not to come in the middle of the night this time. Ah Rou followed behind her, looking dazed. She only knew that a moment ago she was still in the Jade Moon Palace, and for some reason, she fainted and just woke up when her mistress called her. In an instant, they went from inside the palace to outside. Ah Rou had no idea how her mistress managed it, but her conviction grew stronger that following her mistress would never be wrong. Could it be that her mistress possessed some kind of Immortal technique? Otherwise, how could she appear like this? In Ah Rous heart, that towering red wall was an insurmountable chasm, completely separating the outside world from this place. To go outside, one must have a waist tag, and since Ah Rou followed her mistress into the palace, she had never set foot outside. How could I not be happy to see you? Please come in and have a seat. As Qu Zhian closed the door, she took a quick look around, fearing that someone might be following Xin Lan. Xin Lans visit this time was definitely a secret affair, and no matter how you looked at it, it couldnt be done openly. This small courtyard of yours is quite nice, Dren1. Its just a humble abode. You flatter me, Miss. Please have a seat, Ill pour some tea for you. No need to be polite, Ah Rou. You can go elsewhere for now. This Master and I have some matters to discuss. Ah Rou didnt glance around and nodded before stepping out. Qu Zhian only now noticed that this maid seemed familiar. Wasnt she the palace maid who knelt before the Emperor in the morning, discussing matters? Why would she be with Xin Lan? Do you know her? Xin Lan noticed that Qu Zhians expression was different and inquired about it. We just had a brief encounter. When I finished attending the morning court today, she was still blocking the Emperors path. I only have a vague understanding. Didnt you send me a message, Dren? Thank you for your thoughtfulness. Since you asked how Ive been lately, Ill tell you that Ive been doing well. Qu Zhian smiled and nodded, just as Xin Lan didnt mention her identity as a woman. She pretended not to be curious about how Xin Lan managed to come out. In reality, her heart was itching with curiosity about how Xin Lan managed to come out. Its probably through the channels of the Xin family. Judging from the fact that she brought someone along, her visit couldnt possibly be just to answer the questions on her note. Good to hear that youre doing well. Something did happen in the palace, but its not a big deal. Xin Lan fearlessly shared the details of the incident with Qu Zhian, of course omitting any embellishments or exaggerations. Even though Miss resides in a secluded place, the flow of information is equally well-informed. Qu Zhian sighed. In truth, she wasnt interested in the struggles within the palace. What interested her was the significance behind the situation with Concubine Man. At the same time, she couldnt help but lament that when people turn cruel, they truly become like demons. Who could have imagined that such a delicate and charming woman could commit such brutal acts? What astonished her even more was the conspiracy that Concubine Man had orchestrated behind the scenes. What puzzled Qu Zhian was that Concubine Man had actually managed to ensnare an official. It was truly bewildering how clueless some people in the court could be. However, Qu Zhians remark about being well-informed carried a double entendre. It was surprising that Xin Lan could accurately and flawlessly know her address even within the depths of the palace. The web of influence truly was immensely powerful. The main trouble is when it becomes related to oneself; it cannot be resolved without taking action. Did Miss have any other purpose for this visit? Has the Emperor granted you a mansion? Yes, but its currently undergoing renovations. Then, is this courtyard convenient for accommodating someone? Logically speaking, that palace maid should have merited it. How could it be? The scandals of the Imperial family, can others really come to know about them? Perhaps thats how the Emperor thinks. After all, when it comes to matters concerning his heirs, only the dead can forever keep a secret. Qu Zhian furrowed her brows slightly. She still wasnt accustomed to the methods of these influential families. Daren, you dont need to worry. Were not staying here for free either. Once we find another place to rent, well move out. Miss, theres no need to be so polite. Given our relationship, theres no need for such formalities. What relationship do we have? Xin Lan smiled and asked in return. She was somewhat surprised that this person was becoming so familiar. Of course, it couldnt be considered familiarity. After all, she could be regarded as someone who saved her once. She had expected this person to keep her at a distance or remain cautious. However, the act of passing her the note indicated that she was actually someone with a strong sense of justice, kindness, and a sense of loyalty. Setting aside everything else, she found this person quite interesting. However, upon reflecting on the brief descriptions of this person in the story, it wasnt surprising that she reacted this way. A girl who dared to escape from her family in this environment and resist the system demonstrated great courage. Her outstanding business skills indicated vision and intelligence. The fact that she could easily let go of her business and go out with money to enjoy herself and make friends showed that she was a straightforward and refreshing person. She had her own opinions and insights on national affairs and later achieved success. She was extraordinary, truly extraordinary. The more Xin Lan thought about Qu Zhians qualities, the more she wanted to have this person on her side and use her. However, how to win her over was still a question that required careful consideration. I suppose we can consider ourselves friends now, right? After all, they shared a common secret and had experienced life-and-death situations together. Qu Zhian admired Xin Lan greatly, and if this person could be free-spirited, she could certainly accomplish great things. I never expected Daren to consider me a friend. Im truly touched. Miss, youre teasing me with those words. I originally intended to leave freely, but then I thought there was no need, especially since I have the intention to leave but fear that person wouldnt agree. The last sentence made Qu Zhian feel both embarrassed and uncomfortable, as if she was praising herself, but in reality, she sincerely expressed her dilemma. So, if you become powerful enough that he cant threaten your presence, wouldnt that be better? Xin Lan smiled lightly, a faint smile appearing on her delicate face, making her look even more exquisite. Qu Zhian was startled, she looked at Xin Lan intently, only to find that the trace of a smile had vanished, as if it had never appeared on her face. What was this implying? Just like the Xin family, becoming so powerful that the Emperor couldnt control her comings and goings? Are you planning to keep her like this forever? Qu Zhian thought it was unlikely, she had a feeling that Xin Lan must have some other purpose. It wasnt that Qu Zhian believed Xin Lan wouldnt perform random acts of kindness, but she felt it wouldnt be that simple, to be so kind-hearted as to keep a servant girl by her side. Just a servant girl, keeping her wont cause any major problems. But you also know that a discarded Empress has no say in the harem. If she ever gets headaches or fevers, the Imperial Physician would never come. So, Im considering whether to let this servant girl open a herbal medicine shop, hire a doctor, and learn about medicinal principles. When intelligent people converse, theres no need to exert too much effort or delve too deeply. If you want to open a shop, why not come to me? I may not be of much help with other matters, but this shouldnt be a problem. Qu Zhian became energized. She had been observing these matters all afternoon, and if she could be of assistance to someone, it would be excellent. In that case, thank you very much for your help, Daren. I feel relieved knowing that this servant girl will have a safe place to stay. However, she has no experience in business, so I hope you will bear with her in this matter. If you think she lacks talent, please let me know, and Ill come up with a solution. Whether Ah Rou had talent or not was not important. What mattered was that Xin Lan needed a medicine shop to conduct her affairs. Very well, theres no need for you to address me as Daren. It feels strange and unfamiliar. In reality, they had only met for the second time, but considering the significant event they had experienced together, their identities were still quite unique. They hadnt yet reached the stage of meeting you for the first time feels like reuniting with an old friend, but Qu Zhian felt an instant connection with Xin Lan. Seeing this person brought her joy, allowing her to overlook all of her background and peculiarities. Even if she was a discarded Empress or a member of the Xin family, during their conversation, she was simply Miss Xin. Whats the point of that? Zhian? If someone overhears it, theyll immediately guess its you. Then call me by my nickname, Yan Yan. Thats how my family addresses me. Yan? Smoke, like the dispersing mist in the breeze. Qu Zhian pursed her lips. These were the words Xin Lan had used to introduce herself. Clearly, Xin Lan remembered too. They locked eyes and smiled at each other. That smile spread in her eyes, illuminating her obsidian-like irises, and when her raven-colored eyelashes fluttered lightly, it seemed as though a vast starry sky unfolded. Suddenly, Qu Zhian recalled a line of poetry, feeling as if the countless stars were pressing before her, and her joy made her realize her own insignificance. Unaware of the sky after getting drunk on the water, a ship full of clear dreams weighing down the starry river. Alright, then Ill call you Yan Yan. Xin Lan nodded, realizing that the nickname was insignificant as long as it was this person. They reached a consensus regarding the matter of the medicinal herb shop. I may not have brought enough silver coins with me today. I only brought a portion. Ill add the rest tomorrow, Xin Lan said. No worries, Ill choose the items for you first, and you can settle the payment later, replied Qu Zhian. Qu Zhian didnt place much importance on money matters since she was already wealthy. After scanning the money, Zero Nine confirmed that Qu Zhian wouldnt be concerned about the amount. As long as the debt was repaid, it would suffice. Xin Lan took out the money she had brought and placed it in Qu Zhians hand. When their fingers touched, Xin Lan inexplicably felt her heart skip a beat. Unaware of Qu Zhians reaction, Xin Lan withdrew her hand. Qu Zhians background was actually quite remarkable. Although not from an aristocratic family, her household was wealthy enough to rival a country. These four words were not to be taken lightly, as the business of the Qu family spanned across the entire Wu Kingdom, reaching even into Daqing. So, Qu Zhian is wealthy, truly exceptionally wealthy. Moreover, shes not just some idle young miss who lives off her familys wealth; she has a remarkable ability to make money grow. Based on what Qu Zhian said about helping with the medicinal herb shop, Xin Lan knew that this matter was secure. It seems that Miss Xin came prepared, Qu Zhian remarked as she received the money. Xin Lan smiled in response without denying it. Qu Zhian waited for Xin Lan to say, Calling me Miss feels too distant, why not call me Laner? But after waiting for a while, Xin Lan didnt utter those words. There was a slight trace of disappointment in Qu Zhians heart, but she didnt show it. What do you think? If the Emperor knew how well we get along, would he be furious? The Emperor had shown interest in Qu Zhian, considering her as one of his own. Additionally, the Emperor had a particular disdain for the Xin family and disliked Xin Lan. If he were to see Xin Lan and Qu Zhian getting along, it would surely infuriate him. Who cares about him. Qu Zhian pursed her lips, the Emperor had no right to dictate her personal relationships. It was her freedom to choose the kind of people she wanted to be friends with, and the Emperor had no say in that matter. Qu Zhian couldnt deny that the actions of the Xin family were related to Xin Lan. The facts were right there, mutually beneficial. One was rising steadily while the other felt overshadowed by the towering tree, so cutting down the obstructing tree wasnt unjustifiable. It was Xin Lans actions towards Qu Zhian that went too far. The mere thought of it made Qu Zhian angry, but getting angry wouldnt accomplish anything. Calling you Yan Yan does give off a more delicate impression. How do you usually speak? There is a certain distinction between a female voice and a male voice. Although some peoples voices are androgynous, generally only Eunuchs speak with a touch of softness. Qu Zhian lightly cleared her throat, signaling a change in her tone. This is how I usually speak in daily life. Pay close attention, and no one will detect anything. Its inconvenient for a woman to be too conspicuous in her appearance. Qu Zhians voice became deeper, devoid of any femininity. Based on her voice alone, one would perceive her as a gentle gentleman. Youre quite skilled. Xin Lan clapped her hands, and Qu Zhian took a breath, changing her tone of voice. Qu Zhian had trained herself in this skill. At first, it was easy to be recognized, but now she had perfected it. From her mannerisms to her voice, she could easily pass as an elegant gentleman, a refined young man, or even a scholarly type. Xin Lan didnt engage in much conversation with Qu Zhian and went outside to talk to Ah Rou, who was standing there. The conversation mainly revolved around Ah Rou learning from Qu Zhian and emphasizing the importance of following her instructions. Ah Rou nodded in response, but deep down, she felt a bit anxious. Mistress, shall I stay here? How can I contact you? When will I see you again? Ah Rou hadnt been outside the palace for two or three years. Even before Concubine Liu entered the palace, she rarely had the chance to go out. Occasionally going out for a stroll brought her immense joy. Now, being left alone outside with a stranger, she couldnt help but feel a bit timid. Ah Rou, have you forgotten what I told you before? Courage was essential, and she shouldnt be afraid of any situation. I remember, I will learn well and perform my duties diligently, waiting for your return, Mistress. Ah Rou took a deep breath and looked into Xin Lans eyes. Very well, from now on, you dont have to refer to yourself as a servant here. Its better to avoid raising suspicion. Yes, I understand. Ah Rou hesitated, her face showing signs of wanting to say something but holding back. If theres something, feel free to speak. Can I go back to visit my mistress? I dont know when she was buried or where she was laid to rest You cant go back anymore. If theres any news, I will inform you. Thank you, Mistress. Ah Rou expressed her gratitude. As a low-ranking concubine, it was impossible for her to enter the imperial tomb, and considering the circumstances of her Mistress death the more Ah Rou thought about it, the more resentment grew in her heart. Im leaving now, Ill come back tomorrow. Take care, Mistress. Xin Lans figure dissipated into the darkness of the night, and Ah Rou closed the door and bolted it. Daren, where will I be staying? You can sleep in the east wing. It has been cleaned earlier, and you can take the bedding from the cabinet to sleep. Thank you, Daren. Shall I attend to you when you wake up tomorrow? No need. Ah Rou nodded silently and returned to her room. Before drifting off to sleep, her thoughts revolved around whether her Mistress would blame her for revealing the forced circumstances. That was probably the last thing her Mistress would want the Emperor to know. If she were blamed, being scolded in a dream would be welcomed. She woke up in a daze, rubbing her forehead. In her dream last night, it involved unrelated people, but strangely, she didnt dream of her Mistress. Outside, daylight had already arrived. As she pushed open the door, she heard the Master reading. I am currently ill, my soul in turmoil, only to dream of idle individuals and not of you. She hadnt been sick, so why did she dream of idle individuals as well? CH 33 Abandoned Empress 08 Xin Lan thought she had resolved some matters and could finally have a peaceful sleep, but Zero Nine brought her unexpected news. Zero Nine: Sister Lan, Concubine Man has run away. Xin Lan: Huh? Zero Nine: Shes on the move, destination unknown. But considering her martial arts skills, she probably cant fly over the palace walls. Xin Lan: Wont the Emperor be furious? Zero Nine: Hes furious indeed, ordering the Imperial Guards to conduct a search. Xin Lan: How did she manage to get out? In theory, Concubine Man was under house arrest with Imperial Guards stationed at the entrance. So how did she escape, from the rooftop perhaps? That seems unlikely. Concubine Mans lightness skills havent reached that level yet, otherwise she wouldnt have trouble getting over the palace walls. Zero Nine: She tricked one guard into fainting, then let another one in, and took him down too. Thats how she made her escape. Beautiful and delicate women always manage to catch people off guard, especially when someone like Wu Yanqing isnt easily swayed by their beauty. Even if shes a beauty, he wont hesitate to take action. Never underestimate a strong and confident woman; she always has unexpected moves up her sleeve. Concubine Man headed towards the palace walls, her bothersome skirt already torn apart, exposing her legs without a care. She was determined to escape from here. Unfortunately, her secret passage hasnt been completed, and shes unaware of the whereabouts of the underground tunnels beneath the Wu Kingdoms palace. Otherwise, she wouldnt be so restricted. She gathered her inner strength and attempted to leap onto the roof, but failed. Originally, she had only learned the basics and had neglected practice for several years. Just knocking out those two tall and strong guards had already drained a considerable amount of her energy. With no other options, she had no choice but to hide for the time being. However, if she couldnt leave and remained hidden here, it was only a matter of time before she would be discovered. Like a trapped animal, Concubine Man cautiously concealed herself within the palace. Xin Lan listened to Zero Nines relayed information, observing coldly from the sidelines. She summoned Chun Yue and whispered to her. Chun Yue nodded, indicating her understanding. Chun Yue stepped back, and outside the door, Si Tong tugged at her sleeve, whispering in her ear. Chun Yue, what did our mistress tell you? Chun Yue briefly explained to her. Oh, you see, our mistress just happened to call me instead of you. Shes playing favorites. After all, Chun Yue had been serving her for several years, so it was only natural for her to be called upon for tasks. I was simply waiting by the door this time. You can wait there next time, and our mistress will surely call for you. Chun Yue, being observant, had already noticed that their mistress didnt have any particular favoritism. For trivial matters, it was whoever happened to be closer that would be called. Well, Ill give it a try next time. With a smiling face, Si Tong glanced towards the door and then sat back down. Its nothing major, just the Imperial Guards conducting a search. Concubine Man was never in the Jade Moon Palace to begin with, and Xin Lan had no secrets here. She allowed the Imperial Guards to search openly and without hesitation. She just sat down and asked who they were searching for. Concubine Man has been confined, but she managed to escape unauthorized. We have been ordered to capture her. I didnt see anything. Boss, this servant seemed to have caught a glimpse of someone just now, but Im not sure if it was Concubine Man. The figure seemed to be a woman, not dressed like a palace maid, and she was running fast. I only managed to see her back, Chun Yue hesitated, her words filled with uncertainty. But did you see which way she went? Chun Yue pointed in a direction, and the Imperial Guards headed off in that direction. The grand doors of the Jade Moon Palace closed once again, and as the footsteps faded away, tranquility returned to the night. Si Tong and Chun Yue brought warm water, and Xin Lan undressed and immersed herself, beginning her bath. As for Concubine Mans situation, she cared little at the moment. Taking a bath was a more pressing matter, and if there were any developments, Zero Nine would inform her. The water in the tub was warm, soothing against her skin. Xin Lan let out a gentle sigh as her fair and slender fingers played with the water, submerging her neck and allowing her dark tresses to float. Just as she was almost finished bathing, Zero Nine informed her that Concubine Man had been captured. Following the direction indicated by Chun Yue, the Imperial Guards quickly located the person. They surrounded her, making it impossible for Concubine Man to escape, and brought her before the Emperor. Wu Yanqing waved off the others and, with only the two of them remaining in the hall, descended from his elevated position. He looked down at the disheveled Concubine Man, who had fallen to the ground. I have underestimated you. You possess the ability to escape. But since you dared to flee, it means the child in your womb is a bastard, am I not mistaken? he said. Wu Yanqing lifted Concubine Mans chin with two fingers, observing the hatred in her eyes. Do you hate me? What right do you have? In these years youve been in the palace, I have treated you well, showering you with affection and favor. Yet, how have you treated me? Wu Yanqings voice turned icy cold as he recalled taking the antidote to nurture his body, yet someone within the palace had tampered with it, leaving him infuriated. He couldnt fathom how he had wronged this beauty. He had showered her with affection and rewards, but she had dared to tamper with his essence, seeking to end his lineage and overthrow his reign. She had even targeted his other concubines, displaying such maliciousness. Now that it has come to this, Your Majesty need not pretend. Concubine Man brushed off the dust from her body, her face devoid of the previous pitiful gaze and misty disposition, replaced instead with a sense of cunning. Truly, you are a cold-hearted woman, sighed Wu Yanqing, as his fingers grazed Concubine Mans face. What correspondence have you had with the Daqing Kingdom? I wont utter a single word to you. Why be like this? After all, we are husband and wife. You should feel ashamed before me. Theres no need for you to put on the act as if I owe you something. I dont wish to resort to violence against you, but if you continue to remain silent, those punishments will be inflicted upon you, one by one. Wu Yanqing thought he had treated this woman well. Despite her betrayal and unfaithfulness, he still spoke to her kindly. Unfortunately, she remained ungrateful. Reluctant? When have you ever been reluctant? In your eyes, every woman is only valued for the extent of their usefulness. Has Xin Lan ever owed you anything? Yet, look at her pitiful fate now. Such an Emperor, what right do you have to pretend to be affectionate in front of me? Concubine Man wasnt defending Xin Lan; she had simply reached a point where she didnt care anymore. There was a momentary tumultuous expression on Wu Yanqings face, prompting someone to come in and take Concubine Man away. Xin Lan listened to their conversation and couldnt help but find it amusing. Its like the pot calling the kettle black; nobody is clean. However, in the case of Concubine Man, she did indeed wrong Wu Yanqing, just as Wu Yanqing wronged the original host. According to the laws of Wu Kingdom, becoming a female prisoner was not a favorable outcome. Becoming a female prisoner was even more miserable than the women in the brothel, at least they received payment for their services. For unfaithful female prisoners, the methods of torture were exceptionally cruel. Xin Lan had no interest in knowing what awaited Concubine Man in her future; she could easily guess. She had no sympathy either; it was simply an eye for an eye, a life for a life. The principles of justice were clear, and retribution was undeniable. Concubine Liu was innocent, yet she could only forever sleep in the cold ground. It was pitiful for both Concubine Liu and Consort Xis unborn child, who would never see the light of day. The next evening, Xin Lan left the palace once again. Qu Zhian was efficient and quickly helped Xin Lan scout several pharmacies. Acquiring an existing pharmacy would be much more convenient than starting a new one since they already had a supply of goods. However, the downside was evident. If there was profit to be made, they wouldnt sell it to others. Those reputable but lower-end herbal medicine shops would only be sold if the owners were in dire need of money. If she wanted to open a new store, she had to find the right connections. The location and type of building were important considerations. It would require a significant amount of money and time to transform it into what she desired. However, Qu Zhian knew that Xin Lan was not willing to wait. She only wanted to confirm whether Xin Lan intended to make money or had other motives in opening the store. Clearly, if her goal was to earn money, she wouldnt target a herbal medicine shop. Choosing a teahouse or tavern would be more lucrative. Xin Lan was delighted to hear about available herbal medicine shops that were up for sale. She wanted one for her own purposes, not for business. The less conspicuous, the better. Qu Zhian paused for a moment, her gaze deepening as she looked at Xin Lan. When she met her eyes, that hint of darkness vanished abruptly. Very well, I will handle it tomorrow. The money you gave me yesterday is sufficient. How about we go together and take a look today? Xin Lan agreed eagerly, accompanying Qu Zhian in the dim light of the night. She knew that Qu Zhian understood her thoughts, which led her to find a place that perfectly suited her preferences. Qu Zhian saw through it but chose not to reveal her understanding. By keeping it unspoken, they could maintain a delicate balance, able to advance or retreat if needed. As Xin Lan laid eyes on the herbal medicine shop, she was thoroughly satisfied. The location was not excessively remote, and the size was just right. The owner had run it poorly and had plans to leave the capital, making it available for sale. After inspecting the herbal medicine shop, the two of them slowly walked back. It wasnt too late yet, but the streets were already devoid of people. Only a few hurried figures could be seen, as Xin Lan and Qu Zhian walked alongside them or brushed shoulders, silently moving forward. Yan Yan has done me a great favor. I will definitely express my gratitude with a gift in the near future. As they continued their walk, the moonlight gently illuminated their path, casting a contemplative atmosphere over them. Theres no need to be so polite. Its just a small favor, no need to specially offer any gift. Qu Zhian initially wanted to suggest having tea together, but considering Xin Lans identity, its probably only convenient for her to come out at night. However, tea houses are mostly closed in the late evening, and going to a tavern might not be a good idea either, as who knows what might happen if they get drunk. Besides, she doesnt know if Xin Lan is good at drinking. So, she had to give up on that idea. This wont do. Xin Lan shook her head. She didnt like taking advantage of others. If Qu Zhian helped her, she must repay the favor. However, she hadnt thought of a suitable gift yet. She didnt have any rare or interesting things around her, and if she had to buy something with money, not only did she not have enough funds, but Qu Zhian was born into a wealthy family and had seen everything beautiful. Alright, even if you want to give a gift, its not the right time. Lets discuss it when youre convenient. Qu Zhians eyebrows curved, a relaxed and joyful smile on her face. However, the implication in her words had changed. She no longer intended to let go of this favor. Qu Zhian was a shrewd businessperson. The first time she genuinely declined, but since Xin Lan insisted on being polite, she silently made a note in her mind. Miss Xin owed her a favor. She had a feeling that it would come in handy in the future. Xin Lan, on the other hand, had no idea what Qu Zhian was thinking in her heart, but she couldnt help but think that this person was really quite nice. However, it would probably be a long time before she became convenient, and she might still need this persons help. Qu Zhian might have an idea of what she wanted to do, but she didnt know the specific steps she intended to take. As Xin Lan left Qu Zhians place, she felt a heaviness in her heart. That almost melancholic feeling seemed to arise from nowhere and quietly dissipated when she closed her eyes. Not even two days later, the Imperial Guards suddenly surrounded the Xin residence and began searching inside. The suddenness of this situation was like thunder, catching people off guard. When Zero Nine told Xin Lan about it, she was casually eating melon seeds. Upon hearing this news, she calmly continued cracking another seed. She knew that the Emperor would definitely take advantage of the situation. The idea of him learning the truth and clearing her of any wrongdoing was simply impossible. After the Imperial Guards finished searching the Xin residence, they found two letters containing conversations between Xin Sheng and Concubine Man. The evidence of treason and collaboration with the enemy was clearly written in black and white. Theres no need to mention that these letters were definitely forged by the Emperor. Even the current head of the Xin family, Senior Minister Xin Sheng, is well aware of this matter. Ever since Concubine Man was thrown into the dungeon, he sensed that something was amiss. During the previous dynasty, even if someone heard rumors, no one dared to ask the Emperor directly about what mistakes Concubine Man had committed. After all, Concubine Man was a princess through a political marriage, not the daughter of any ministers family. It was the Emperor himself who brought it up in court, speaking of a conspiracy in Daqing Kingdom and insinuating that Concubine Man had ulterior motives. At that time, some officials joined in the condemnation. In the end, the Emperor said something with deep meaning, implying that someone had dared to form a connection with Concubine Man, although he didnt reveal who. But Xin Sheng always felt like he was being watched. As long as one conducts themselves properly, Xin Sheng had nothing to fear since he had not done anything wrong. However, what he feared was being forced to betray his country. And as expected, the day finally arrived. He had been on guard at home, fearing that something messy would be planted inside. However, during the search by the Imperial Guards, they could easily present anything they found on him as if it were discovered in the house. Therefore, the Senior Minister remained calm and composed. When the Emperor arrived, he knelt down and pleaded his innocence, giving the impression that he was wholeheartedly devoted to the Emperor. Even his family members cried and lamented, openly stating that their lord always returned home promptly after morning court sessions and never delayed in the palace until the Emperor dismissed him. The people wailed with swollen faces. Indeed, the Senior Minister knew how to maintain a good reputation for himself. Over the years, he had managed to avoid being caught in any corruption scandals. Of course, he couldnt possibly be as clean as he appeared on the surface. He was just good at pretending, meticulously covering his tracks. Not fearing that the Emperor would misunderstand Senior Ministers actions, but fearing that the Emperor did it deliberately C that was the concern. And indeed, the Emperor did it intentionally. The Emperor himself knew it, Senior Minister knew it, and those who could see through the situation knew it even better. Xin Lan finished cracking a handful of melon seeds as her younger sister, Xin Long, tearfully arrived at the door. Xin Long was still young after all. Upon hearing that something had happened to the Xin family and that their grandfather had been imprisoned, she couldnt receive any news from home, so she hurriedly came over in a fluster. Aunt, they all say that Grandfather She choked up before she could even finish her sentence, and tears started to flow. Dont cry, Longer. Youre already the Empress, so you cant be so unstable. Ming Xiang, wipe away your mistresss tears. Xin Long sniffled, but seeing Xin Lan sitting calmly in the main seat, seemingly unaffected even in the face of an imminent crisis, she regained her composure. Longer, I hope you can understand that our Xin family is like a thorn in the Emperors flesh. If he doesnt remove it, we wont have peace in our lives. You need to learn to be smarter and not always act foolishly. But but Mother told me to please him, and I did, but why Some things will never change no matter how hard a person tries. Even if you put in all your efforts to please him, if he doesnt accept it, what can you do? Does that mean our family is is in trouble? Dont jump to conclusions. Even if something really happens, you mustnt panic. Father surely has a backup plan. You go back home and wait. No matter what happens, stay calm. Xin Lan initially thought about acting upset if the Emperor came to find her, hoping to evoke some sympathy from him. But upon reflection, she realized it was unlikely. A man like him could never possess such emotions. Xin Long came in crying and left with a mournful expression. As expected, on the second day after Senior Minister Xin was thrown into prison, government officials came to kneel and plead for mercy. The Emperor burned with rage and refused to relent. Having finally caught such an opportunity, how could he let go so easily? In the Imperial Study, Qiu Peizhen and Qu Zhian stood together as the Emperor asked for their views on the matter. Qiu Peizhen was straightforward. He was not pleased with the powerful presence of the Xin family in the court. However, since the Xin family had no apparent wrongdoing or absurd actions, Qiu Peizhen objectively stated that there was only a 50% chance that Senior Minister Xin had actually committed such acts. After all, Senior Minister Xin had already reached the pinnacle of power. What purpose would he have in betraying the country? The country is not so easily changed hands. If Senior Minister Xin truly committed such acts and caused a change in dynasty, he would not maintain his current position. Unless he intends to ascend the throne himself. However, that is highly unlikely. Initiating a rebellion requires a good reputation. Attempting to seize power without a well-known cause would not only likely fail, but also lead to infamy for generations. A cunning person like Senior Minister Xin would never cut off his own path in such a way. Therefore, Qiu Peizhen expressed his belief that it was absurd to think that the letters were found in the Senior Ministers residence. However, he wasnt foolish and noticed the change in the Emperors expression. He stated that if it was indeed Senior Minister Xin who did it, severe punishment should be administered without leniency. At the moment the incident occurred, Qu Zhian understood what was happening in her heart. In this self-directed drama, Qu Zhian understood that the crime of treason would lead to the punishment of nine generations, which meant that Xin Lan would also be implicated. However, Qu Zhian and Senior Minister Xin were not in the same camp, and she couldnt defend him in any way. Zhian, its your turn to speak. Theres no smoke without fire. The fact that incriminating evidence was found in the Senior Ministers residence must have a reason behind it. Your Majesty possesses keen insight and will surely not make a wrong judgment. Qu Zhian maintained a composed expression and spoke in line with the Emperors sentiments. As she said that, she felt somewhat numb inside. She never expected that one day she would become someone who could lie without changing her expression. Seeing the satisfied expression on the Emperors face, she even felt like laughing. It seems that Zhian truly understands my heart. Those individuals couldnt even wait a day after Left Ministers imprisonment before coming out and pleading with me. If one didnt know, they would think they were the courtiers of the Left Minister. The Emperor snorted coldly, while Qiu Peizhen and Qu Zhian remained silent. Qu Zhian and Qiu Peizhen left the hall together. When they were outside, Qiu Peizhen quietly congratulated Qu Zhian. Huaicheng, what is there to congratulate me for? Abandoned Empress 08 In advance, lets congratulate you, Master Qu, on your promotion. His Majesty has said that you have won his heart, and with your abilities, it wont be a problem for you to move up. Qiu Peizhens words were not sarcasm but a sincere congratulation. I should be the one congratulating you first, Huaicheng. This time, when you go to Jiangnan, you must be extra careful. Ive heard that the bandits there are fierce, and the local officials dont do their job properly. You will definitely have to worry about it. Worrying for His Majesty is our duty. Thats true. Qu Zhian echoed while sighing in her heart. As expected by Xin Lan, within three days, the Left Minister was released from prison. The disciples of the Left Minister, as well as those who were on the same boat as him, submitted daily petitions, kneeling and pleading, arguing that the Emperor should not slander a loyal minister. This infuriated the Emperor, who threw the memorials in his study in anger, but ultimately gritted his teeth and released the Left Minister. This major action not only reinforced the Emperors determination but also made him realize how many people in the court were aligned with the Left Minister. He made a note of each of them, waiting to remove them in the future. On the surface, they seemed to be living peaceful days without any disturbances, but underneath, it was far from calm. Xin Lans herbal medicine shop had been successfully taken over by Ah Rou. One of the pharmacists who used to work at the shop stayed behind and guarded it together with Ah Rou. Ah Rou was working hard to familiarize herself with the business, while Qu Zhian was always there to offer guidance, and she learned a lot. Xin Lan told her what supplies she needed, and Ah Rou went out to purchase them for her. Late July arrived, with the peak of summer heat. The weather was becoming increasingly hot and stifling, and even the Cold Palace wasnt necessarily much cooler. The situation in the imperial harem had returned to its previous state, except that the Empress had been replaced, and Concubine Man had been deposed. Now, the palace was in a delicate balance, with the faction of the new Empress appearing slightly weaker. Everyone had grown accustomed to Concubine Mans disappearance. After all, the downfall of a deposed Empress happened in an instant, just like it did for Concubine Man. Xin Lan was truly living a peaceful life. It felt as if this place had been forgotten, as if no turmoil could reach here. However, the more this was the case, the more she became suspicious. She had been waiting, waiting for the Emperor to make a move again, but the Emperor had yet to act. Could it be that he truly had such a change of heart and let her go? Was he not planning to torment her further, but rather intending to let her wither away in this place? Xin Lan felt that it was unlikely, given Wu Yanqings character. One night, after being awakened by Zero Nine, she knew that old habits die hard, and Wu Yanqing would never let her off the hook. Her eyes held suppressed anger, and her face grew gloomy. Since arriving in this mission world, she didnt know how many times she had been awakened at night. If it had been something urgent, she would have understood, but this time it wasnt. A wave of smoke drifted in, and Xin Lan held her breath, pretending to be affected and dazed by the smoke. Someone quietly pushed open the door and entered. There was no movement outside the room, and Xin Lan thought that Chun Yue might have fallen victim to it as well. It was a man who stealthily approached her bedside, reaching out to undress her. Xin Lan opened her eyes, appearing startled and panicked, and hurled the pillow towards the man. She exerted considerable force, and coupled with the fact that the pillow wasnt a soft one filled with cotton, it knocked the man unconscious in one strike. Xin Lan got up and stuffed the man under her bed. Zero Nine: Host, the Emperor is here, at the door. Xin Lan stood up, dusted off the dirt from her body, her brows and eyes carrying a sense of suppressed emotions. Is this Emperor sick? Does he have a particular fondness for being cuckolded by others? Now hes so impatient to catch someone in the act? He truly deserves to be cuckolded by Concubine Man. Such a person should have his lineage severed. Using such filthy methods not just once, but twice! The first time, at least it was a woman, but this time he brought a man, and with one reach of his hand, he aimed for her chest. Xin Lan was furious. She was already angry at being awakened, and this disgusting act made her even angrier. She could hardly restrain her volatile heart, wishing she could just beat up the Emperor right now to vent her anger. Wu Yanqing only brought Mei An with him. He said he wanted to get some fresh air, and coincidentally, he ended up at the entrance of the Jade Moon Palace. Come to think of it, its been a while since I last saw her. I wonder if she truly repents here, sighed Wu Yanqing, though his eyes held a slight hint of amusement. It should be so, but should this servant knock on the door, Master? Mei An didnt understand why her master was in such a good mood tonight and wanted to visit this person in the Cold Palace. However, if her master was willing, Mei An would oblige. Wu Yanqing nodded, and Mei An stepped forward to knock on the door. After two knocks with no response, she tried pushing the door, and it swung open in the next moment. Xin Lan had a pair of dark and gloomy eyes, with hardly any pleasant expression on her face. She remembered clearly that Chun Yue had locked the main door before she fell asleep. Who knew how this person had entered and even deliberately opened the door? She had to exert all her efforts to restrain her fury, so as not to throw punches at Wu Yanqing as soon as he entered. So, he liked being cuckolded, huh? Then she wished him a lifetime of being cuckolded. When Wu Yanqing pushed open the door, he didnt see the scene he had imagined. Instead, he saw Xin Lan sitting on the bed in her undergarments, staring straight at him. In that instant, he almost couldnt maintain his composure. Looking at Xin Lans expression, it seemed as if she knew everything. The Emperor has quite the leisure to visit my Jade Moon Palace at such a late hour. Wu Yanqing felt somewhat dumbfounded and managed to hold his tongue to utter a sentence to test the reaction of his former wife. Being stared at by those dark eyes, he inexplicably felt the urge to flee. Come to think of it, it had been a long time since he had really looked at this face. Now that Ive seen it, you may leave. Xin Lan suppressed her anger, finding it difficult to feign a pleasant expression, so she appeared somewhat numb. Wu Yanqing remembered his previous arrangement and for some reason, he couldnt bring himself to meet those eyes. He nodded hastily and hurriedly left. At the moment he stepped out of the door, he became somewhat puzzled as to why the person he had arranged wasnt there. He turned back, only to meet those eyes again, which held a mocking expression as if they saw through everything. Wu Yanqings emotions were complicated, and a rare feeling of regret arose in his heart. He had wanted Xin Lan to suffer a humiliating and undignified death here, but when he witnessed it with his own eyes, he suddenly felt a twinge of mercy. Actually, she wasnt entirely wrong, Wu Yanqing understood in his heart. At the beginning, he did have some genuine feelings towards her. But now, it was all the fault of the Xin family for bringing this upon themselves. If Xin Lan could hear his thoughts at this moment, she would probably let out a cold laugh. Some genuine feelings? Did some genuine feelings justify him giving her sterilization drugs in the first year of their marriage? What disgusting kind of genuine feelings is this? Xin Lan sat on the bed and dragged the man out from under it. She kicked him awake, startling him. He remembered his mission and made a move to force himself on her. Xin Lan stepped on his chest, pressing him down firmly. I dont know how you got in here, but you should know who I am. Even if Im a deposed Empress, Im not someone you lowly people can demean. Xin Lan shifted her foot, and the man tried to grab hold of her leg but was harshly kicked in the groin by Xin Lan, emitting a muffled groan as he curled up in pain. If you enjoy entering and leaving the palace at will so much, why not become a eunuch and be done with it. Xin Lan applied more force with her foot, and her fists clenched tightly, making a creaking sound. Mercy, Your Highness, have mercy. The man, dressed as a palace guard, pleaded while his face turned incredibly dark. He attempted to grab Xin Lans leg to counterattack, but she seized his hair and slammed his head into the bedpost, rendering him unconscious. Xin Lan stood up, dragging him and throwing him at the entrance of the Jade Moon Palace, then continued walking, tossing him not far away. If it werent for fear that his disappearance would alert the Emperor, she would have killed him long ago. Turning around, Xin Lan closed the bolt on the gate of the Jade Moon Palace. Chun Yue was still lying on the bed, seemingly safe, so Xin Lan didnt wake her up. She sat on the bed, waiting for the opportune moment. Zero Nine didnt dare to talk to her at all. The hosts mood was already bad, and this would only escalate matters to a deadly level. After about half an hour, Zero Nine spoke up, saying that the Emperor had fallen asleep. Xin Lan stood up and leaped onto the roof, heading towards her destination. The first time she didnt hold him accountable, but this time, even if she couldnt quickly pull him down from his position above, she had to let off some steam. In his light sleep, Wu Yanqing sensed someone approaching. He immediately opened his eyes in alertness, only to find himself unable to move. He was turned over and lay on his side facing the wall. He was about to angrily rebuke, but then he realized he couldnt speak. He was greatly shocked and widened his eyes. If it was an assassin sent to kill him, he would almost certainly lose his life. However, the person behind him remained silent, exuding a chilling aura. Wu Yanqing couldnt open his mouth, let alone plead for mercy or call for help. Actually, Xin Lan wanted to see him terrified and desperate, but she couldnt let Wu Yanqing see her face, so she had to give up. It seems the imperial palace is nothing special. She deliberately altered her voice to sound hoarse and strange, like a peculiar old man. Wu Yanqing thought the same way. He stared at the wall, feeling a strong sense of resentment. As the most esteemed person in the world, how could he allow others to insult him so brazenly? I wonder how it feels to be an Emperor. It must be quite exhilarating. Xin Lan said with a low laugh, as she used the dagger in her hand to cut open Wu Yanqings thin inner garment. A large patch of skin was exposed, and Xin Lan then stabbed the dagger into Wu Yanqings back and pulled it out. His already stiff body became even more rigid due to the sharp pain. I wonder what it would be like to peel off this human skin. I havent yet collected a set of Emperors skin for my collection. It would be perfect. Xin Lan said in a coarse, hoarse voice, elongating her words with a hint of wickedness and sharpness, fully embracing the persona of a villain. Wu Yanqing was frustrated that he couldnt speak, as doing so would surely alert someone to come in and capture this ignorant man, subjecting him to all kinds of torture. He was not calm either. If his skin were really peeled off and he died because of it, then all his years of planning would have been in vain. Xin Lan wasnt just speaking casually; she genuinely wanted to rip out this mans heart and liver. However, the time had not yet come. These scumbags should be grateful for the mercy of this mission. They needed to be humiliated before she could strike. Otherwise, she would have killed him the moment she arrived. Blood seeped from the wound on Wu Yanqings back. Xin Lan didnt continue cutting; instead, she dipped the tip of the knife in the blood and wrote the common language of the Wu Kingdom on his back. Wu Yanqings body became even more sensitive to pain, and after that person behind him performed what seemed like a painting action, he mentally traced the marks left by the blade. The content that took shape in his mind almost made him turn pale with anger. Was here? This person truly dared! Utterly audacious! Xin Lan couldnt see Wu Yanqings reaction and found it somewhat dull to torment someone without witnessing their response. So she planned to let Wu Yanqing participate on his own. She had a brilliant idea that would make him unforgettable for a lifetime. You seem to enjoy having others do things to people, dont you? Well, now you can experience it firsthand. Xin Lans blade pressed against an indescribable area. If I slip up, you might just become a eunuch. That would be quite interesting. You havent had any children yet, right? Could it be that youre already impotent? There was a playful tone in her hoarse voice, and Wu Yanqings face turned pale and green. He had to kill this person! Since youre just a useless decoration, theres no need for your existence. The blade made a gentle stroke, and Wu Yanqing was so nervous that he almost fainted. Xin Lan sensed the tension in his skin and revealed a smile of enjoyment. Even this dog knows fear. She used the tip of the blade to open Wu Yanqings waistband, and when his skin was exposed, she had Zero Nine apply a mosaic to herself. She didnt want to lay eyes on this trashy body, lest it hurt her eyes. The mosaic function was quite useful. In the next instant, the scene before her was no longer something she didnt want to see but a large blurry mosaic. She could still discern which part was which through the mosaic. She sheathed the knife, and Xin Lan directly stabbed Wu Yanqing with the pointed end. Wu Yanqings eyes were bloodshot, and his body trembled incessantly. This person actually dares! If he finds out who this person is, he would chop him up and feed him to the dogs! There was no way Xin Lan would show any mercy. She inflicted painful retaliatory measures on Wu Yanqing. Xin Lan couldnt see, but the mosaic protection brought her great pleasure. The knife in her hand pushed deeper and deeper. She derived great satisfaction from exerting physical pressure on someones body. How can one let go of the pent-up anger without giving this kind of person a good beating? Treating someone in the same way they treat others is the most satisfying method. If Xin Lan wasnt afraid of exposing herself, she would have tied up this person and thrown him into a place where no one could see. Let this lofty Emperor taste what its like to have no dignity. Lets see if he dares to use such means to falsely accuse others again. Once is not enough, there might be a second time. This time, she managed to avoid it, but who knows what malicious tricks he will come up with next. The more Xin Lan thought about it, the angrier she became, and her restless and irritable state grew. That small dagger had already been completely plunged into Wu Yanqings body. Wu Yanqings face was twisted and pale, with sweat dripping from his forehead, and his clothes were soaked. Xin Lan felt a sense of satisfaction and mocked Wu Yanqing. It seems that the Emperors body is no better than those people in the dark alleys. If this appearance were to be exposed, Im afraid it would be devoured, not even leaving a speck of bone residue. Others would probably praise you, Your Majesty, for being an extraordinary person who surpasses the rest, even in becoming a bottom dweller. She intentionally disgusted Wu Yanqing. After all, he had come to disturb her in the middle of the night. Wu Yanqing was on the verge of passing out from anger, cursing fiercely in his mind at the person behind him. All his resentful curses were directed at that person. Xin Lan grabbed the Emperors hand and forced him to use his own fingers to push the handle of the dagger, which was still partially outside his body, further inside. She also took the opportunity to insert one of his own fingers alongside it. A tremendous humiliation! Xin Lan held her arms, disgust evident on her face, as she withdrew her hand. Fortunately, she didnt touch him. Just the thought of it made her feel nauseous. A cold smile appeared on her face. This was just a small punishment for now. When Wu Yanqing had nothing left, he would experience true suffering. This kind of person didnt deserve any sympathy. If he had the ability, he should have targeted the Xin family or the Prime Minister instead. He kept causing trouble for the original owner and even attempted to harm her. What kind of man is he? What kind of ability does he have? There are a thousand types of people, but there are always some who are unworthy of being called human. Wu Yanqing suffered a dual blow to his body and mind, causing him to lose consciousness from the overwhelming frustration. With nothing else to use and not wanting to touch Wu Yanqing with her hands, Xin Lan decided to push his fingers a little further into his body. When Zero Nines censoring reached a more severe extent, she clapped her hands under the eaves and quietly departed, covering her tracks with roof tiles. Feels good. CH 34 Abandoned Empress 09 Zero Nine felt extremely comfortable in the system space, but she quietly increased her cruelty index for her host. History had taught her never to wake up Xin Lan, the Great Demon King, while she was sleeping. Because when she got angry, she not only hit people but also did something even more malicious. Xin Lan returned to her palace and brushed off the dust from her body. After a little activity, she wasnt very sleepy anymore. She took off her outer clothing and lay down on the bed, staring at the ceiling. Apart from having previously insufficient sleep, one of the reasons for her heavy morning mood was that if she was really disturbed, it would be difficult for her to fall back asleep. She closed her eyes for a minute and then opened them again. She was wondering if her earlier actions were not severe enough. It was supposed to be such a beautiful night, but it was ruined like this. She really wanted to make Wu Yanqing suffer a lot, but she still didnt go all the way. With the current medical conditions being so poor, if she accidentally went too far, he might end up half-dead and unable to take care of himself, let alone continue torturing him. Leaving him with psychological trauma would be enough, so she put a sheath on the dagger, preventing Wu Yanqing from injuring his unmentionable parts and becoming disabled, which could lead to complications. Speaking of which, she lost a dagger. She was not pleased. But at that time, there were no convenient objects in the room. Everything was large and couldnt be stuffed inside. The only thing she could use was the sword hanging on the bed. However, to prevent Wu Yanqing from seeing her figure and face, she didnt go to get it. Although she didnt see Wu Yanqings expression, Zero Nine vividly described it to her, and just thinking about it made her feel delighted. Xin Lan took a deep breath, closed her eyes, and after a minute, opened them again. Unable to sleep and in a bad mood. Xin Lan simply got up from the bed, dressed herself, and walked out of the Jade Moon Palace. Tonight, there were no stars or moon. Xin Lan sat on the palace wall of the Jade Moon Palace, blowing the cool breeze and looking at the palace immersed in darkness. After sitting cross-legged for a while, Xin Lan found it uninteresting and returned to the palace. Chun Yue remained unconscious, and Xin Lan gently awakened her. Chun Yue slowly sat up, her eyes filled with confusion. Xin Lan told her that she was going out and if Chun Yue didnt see her in the morning, there was no need to panic. Everything would remain the same, and she would return tomorrow. Xin Lan wasnt afraid of the Emperor coming to look for her. After all, he couldnt contact her, and the Emperor himself had no time to worry about her situation, let alone manage his. Chun Yue nodded, appearing oblivious, and collapsed onto the bed. Xin Lan left the Jade Moon Palace and exited the Imperial Palace. The doors of the houses along the streets were tightly closed. Like a ghost, Xin Lan walked through the long street and arrived at a tavern illuminated by lanterns. The taverns landlady was a middle-aged woman who was busy calculating with an abacus, making a clicking sound. Sensing the ringing of the bell at the entrance, she immediately looked up and smiled. Please come inside, sir. What kind of drink would you like tonight? The landlady originally thought it was a regular customer, but she didnt expect a beautiful young girl to come in. Whats the best wine you have here? The girl spoke, her voice also pleasant to the ears. The landlady glanced inside and indeed saw many people coveting the girl. We have the finest Mulberry Wine, Monkey Brew. Miss, are you drinking it yourself or buying it to take home for a man? For myself. On a night like this, its not safe for a girl to come out alone, let alone drinking. Its easy to be taken advantage of, especially with such a beautiful face like yours. Why not buy some lighter sweet wine and take it home? The landlady hesitated and spoke in a low voice. Then give me two jars of Autumn Dew White. Xin Lan looked at the wooden sign on the taverns wall. After getting the wine, paying the money, Xin Lan turned and left. Standing at the entrance of the tavern, she hesitated for a moment, deciding whether to go left or right. To the left was Qu Zhians house, and to the right was where Ah Rou was. After thinking for a while, Xin Lan walked towards the right. After taking a few steps to the right, she retreated and headed towards the left. The knocking sound awakened Qiu Zhian. She put on her clothes, got up, and saw the woman at the door holding wine. Qu Daren, will you be attending the morning court tomorrow? Yes. Qu Zhian nodded. Apologies for the disturbance. Goodbye. But I can request leave. I caught a chill from the cool night air. Qu Zhian called out to Xin Lan who was about to leave and smiled. Xin Lan raised an eyebrow and walked back in with the wine. Should we go to the room or just stay in the courtyard? Lets go to the room. Its quite hot in the courtyard, and there are many mosquitoes. Xin Lan didnt have any objections. She carried the wine and went to Qu Zhians room, watching as Qu Zhian closed the door. Why are you in such a good mood tonight, coming to drink with me? Qu Zhian asked curiously. It was the first time this had happened. Moreover, Xin Lan turned out to be a drinker, which meant they could arrange to drink together next time. Something happened, and I couldnt sleep, so I came. I didnt intend to disturb you, but drinking alone isnt enjoyable. This doesnt count as a disturbance. Im pleasantly surprised. Qu Zhian was quite happy that Xin Lan did this, and she wasnt annoyed by having her sweet dream disturbed. This indicated that their relationship had taken a step closer. The wine jar was not large, so Xin Lan didnt pour it slowly into a wine glass. Instead, she drank directly from the opening of the jar. Seeing this, Qu Zhian also didnt hesitate and drank from her wine glass, lifting the jar as well. Xin Lan took a big gulp, swallowing the spicy taste. The wine was mellow and had a slight sweetness to it. Xin Lan hadnt drunk for a long time, so she abruptly took a large sip and felt a bit dizzy. What happened that made you unable to sleep and leave the palace in the middle of the night to drink? He tried again after failing last time. What! Are you okay? Qu Zhian exclaimed in shock and anger. She nervously looked at Xin Lan, carefully examining her from head to toe to make sure she wasnt injured, before finally feeling relieved. After Qu Zhian let out a sigh of relief, her anger began to surge. Why does he have to torment and torture you like this? Clearly, youre no longer a threat to him. Why does he keep biting at you? Qu Zhian truly couldnt understand why the Emperor would repeatedly use such despicable methods to deal with Xin Lan. What kind of deep-seated grudge existed between them that prevented Xin Lan from finding peace even in the Cold Palace? If only I knew the reason, it would be better. He owes me a great deal, and I havent settled the score with him yet. I never imagined that I would be such an eyesore to him, unable to escape even in the Cold Palace. Qu Zhian had no idea how to console Xin Lan because she didnt appear sad at all. Her expression was calm as she poured wine into her own mouth without any emotions. Qu Zhian found it difficult to imagine how a woman could endure such fright. Rarely did she let go of her reverence for the Emperor and only wanted to curse him as a beast. A monster with a human face and a beastly heart, hiding its true nature so well on the surface. Qu Zhian felt a bit restless. She tapped the jar with Xin Lan and swallowed a large mouthful of wine, some of it dripping from her chin and wetting her clothes. From this perspective, it seemed that Qu Zhian was the one drowning her sorrows in alcohol, not Xin Lan. Why do you look more gloomy than me? Xin Lan held the jar of wine in one hand and poking Qu Zhians face with the other. Her face had some flesh, and it felt quite nice to the touch. Why dont you seem too angry about how he treats you? When Xin Lan brought it up, her tone was completely calm. Ive already been angry. Zero Nine observed everything silently. How could she not be angry? The Great Demon King was about to explode in fury. She had already punished people brutally. If it werent for the sake of having some fun, the Emperor would probably be battered and twisted by now, with his head split open and blood flowing. Xin Lan briefly described the process, emphasizing that the Emperor personally came to witness the spectacle but left without seeing it. As for how she later retaliated against the Emperor, she didnt mention it. The content was too brutal, better not to scare anyone. Such a narrow-minded person Was he truly the monarch she should believe in and follow? In reality, her beliefs had already been shaken from the very beginning. She just didnt say it aloud. There were other reasons she had been enduring. If its true that the Emperor is only targeting his former wife, who has already left the palace, because he couldnt lay a hand on the Xin family from the previous dynasty, then its simply absurd. Not only does it reveal his petty nature and inability to rise above trivial matters, but it also exposes his incompetence and cowardice. Xin Lan understood what Qu Zhian was thinking and lightly tapped the wine jar with her. Only useless men seek a sense of existence by using their innate advantages to threaten or intimidate women. Thats why she showed no mercy to the abusive man in her first world. Come on, if an Alpha beats up an Omega, theyd end up in court. In the Empire, the minimum sentence would be thirty years. Thats why Xin Lan despised those who preyed on the weak and abused their power. And that power was only relative. Qu Zhian drank with a troubled expression, her desire to leave becoming stronger. If she had known this place was a den of dragons and tigers, a quagmire, and such a mess, Qu Zhian would have rather never set foot here, never stepped into the examination hall on that day due to her temporary impulse. If that were the case, she wouldnt be in the dilemma shes in now, caught between advancing and retreating. Having finished this train of thought, Qu Zhian herself was stunned. Caught between a dilemma? What constitutes progress and what constitutes retreat? That distressing feeling overflows from within her heart, and she doesnt understand why shes so troubled. Shes angry because of what happened to Xin Lan, but its not just that. She no longer holds any respect or admiration for the Emperor; it was all just a facade. Qu Zhian, for a moment, struggles to comprehend her own emotions, or rather, she is unwilling to understand. Xin Lan initially wanted to win over Qu Zhian, but at this juncture, she hesitates to speak up. She feels there is still not enough certainty, still some risk involved. At present, she cannot make any promises to Qu Zhian, whereas the Emperor can offer her more. If she speaks up, it would be entirely about leveraging their relationship. She knows Qu Zhian doesnt value power, at least not currently, which allows her to engage in conversations and drinking with ease. Unbeknownst to them, they unconsciously finished the entire jar of wine in their hands. The scent of alcohol permeated the room, and the aftereffects of the alcohol were starting to make them a bit fuzzy. If I hadnt entered the examination hall or the palace that day, none of this would have happened. Do you regret it? Xin Lan asked with a smile. Shaking her head, Qu Zhian replied, No. If I hadnt entered the palace, how could I have met you? Her cheeks were flushed from the wine, but her eyes still held a hint of clarity. CH 35 Abandoned Empress 10 Xin Lan was momentarily stunned by these words, and the alcohol went to her head, making her feel slightly intoxicated. Youre right. If Yan Yan didnt enter officialdom or the palace, we wouldnt have a chance to meet. I wouldnt have the opportunity to get to know such an extraordinary woman like you. Xin Lan wanted to raise her cup, but she realized that she had already finished her drink. Indeed, Qu Zhian was a rare extraordinary woman of this era, and Xin Lan admired her greatly. If Qu Zhian could completely stand on her side, Xin Lan would admire her even more. Qu Zhian revealed a slightly dazed smile, her clear gaze replaced by a misty one. What should we do in the future Xin Lan heard Qu Zhian murmur these words while looking at Qu Zhian, who was sitting on a stool with her head supported. Yan Yan Yes? Never mind, its nothing. Xin Lan hesitated for a moment but decided not to speak. In reality, Xin Lan wasnt sure what exactly she was hesitating about. She could actually achieve her goals without relying on Qu Zhian. However, with Qu Zhians assistance, she could better target the Emperors vulnerabilities. If she kept Qu Zhian in the dark, they would inevitably end up in opposing positions, or at best, Qu Zhian would disregard her actions. Its fine if you have something to say. Arent we friends? Qu Zhian raised her gaze, a smile on her face. Xin Lan paused for a moment and shook her head. She couldnt just tell someone that she wanted to rebel, could she? In the end, she still didnt trust Qu Zhian enough. It was understandable that she wanted to eliminate the Emperor, and Qu Zhian shared her disdain for his actions. However, this desire alone wasnt enough to support her actions. Xin Lan knew that Qu Zhian subjectively wanted to help her, perhaps even hoped that she could accomplish it. But when it came to involving herself personally in the act, Xin Lan hesitated. If one day Qu Zhian achieved great success, perhaps she could still help Xin Lan by pushing Wu Yanqing down and welcoming a new person. Qu Zhian might even lead the kneeling ceremony below. Xin Lan wanted more than just this, but she also felt that there was nothing wrong with this approach, so she hesitated and didnt speak up. Qu Zhian looked at Xin Lan, and silence fell between them for a moment. In fact, they both had the same thoughts. Qu Zhian really wanted to help Xin Lan, but what made her hesitate was precisely what Xin Lan had in mind. After all, this could determine the course of their future lives. Taking different paths might lead to drastic changes. Qu Zhian didnt regret entering officialdom; she truly didnt regret it. She only regretted encountering such an Emperor. If the Emperor hadnt deliberately set them up, they might have still met each other. It could only be said that the Emperor had brought this trouble upon himself. A jar of Autumn Dew wasnt enough to make Qu Zhian drunk. However, if she continued to delve deeper into this problem and unravel it, she felt a headache coming on. Yet, if she put this problem aside and refrained from thinking about it, she couldnt help but ponder over it. The best solution would be to be aware of it in her heart but pretend not to know. However, she feared that she couldnt resist getting involved and didnt want to leave Xin Lan alone to handle everything. Qu Zhian supported her head and looked at the woman in front of her. With her exquisite appearance and rosy cheeks flushed from the effects of alcohol, her captivating allure made it impossible for anyone to resist being enchanted. Originally possessing a cold and sharp temperament, she had a face as beautiful as spring flowers. However, upon closer inspection, one would first notice not her face, but rather her eyes that contained icy and resolute stars. It is said that she is as enchanting as a red, alluring dewdrop, causing heartbreak over the clouds and mountains. How could someone bear to repeatedly harm such a delicate and beautiful woman, who should be cherished and loved deeply in their heart? Xin Lan said she was an extraordinary woman, and indeed she was among the few women in the world with such courage. The two remained silent, and an inevitable awkwardness permeated the atmosphere. Xin Lan swayed as she stood up, gazing at Qu Zhians face. Now that the wine is finished tonight, I wont bother you any longer. Its already late at night, and youve been drinking. It might not be convenient for you to return to the palace at this hour. There are other rooms in my small courtyard. If you wish to stay, feel free to rest here. Qu Zhian didnt know how Xin Lan had come here, but she was worried that Xin Lan might encounter trouble if she went back to the palace after drinking. No need. Xin Lan was somewhat intoxicated, but not to the point of being unable to walk. It would be more noticeable if she returned in the morning rather than sneaking back at night. As Xin Lan walked to the door, preparing to push it open, she heard Qu Zhians voice from behind. If if I decide to turn back, will we still be friends? If they were to walk different paths, would they still be friends who could drink together like they did now? Well be friends, not enemies. Although we may not be able to collaborate on everything due to different paths, there are still matters where closeness or distance matters. If I ever need your help in the future, I will bring two liang1 of wine and come to bother you. Xin Lan made her words clear, clearly drawing that line. If the two were not allies, then Xin Lan naturally couldnt interact with her so freely. Qu Zhian felt a mixture of three parts disappointment, three parts grievances, mixed with three parts intoxication and one part annoyance, resulting in a complete bitterness. You should understand that there are some grudges that must be settled, otherwise, the anger cannot dissipate, the resentment cannot be resolved. He has insulted me time and time again, creating a deep hatred between us. Not to mention his grievances with the Xin family, I cannot bear to see him thrive. He clearly rose to that position using the influence of the Xin family, and now he sees the Xin family as an obstacle and wants to eradicate me. I dont blame him for that, but in our first year of marriage, he drugged me, which indicates that it was not a spur-of-the-moment decision but a premeditated scheme. He has repeatedly demeaned me and even wants to defile my chastity. Xin Lan turned around, and her beautiful eyes seemed to be hiding fireworks, scorching the hearts of those who witnessed them. He showed me no mercy, so why should I show him kindness? Yan Yan, I know youre a clever person, and you should understand what I want to do, Xin Lan paused, You also know why I havent said it out loud. Your concerns are my concerns. The advantage of talking to a smart person is that they can understand your unspoken words, but the downside is that they already know what you havent expressed yet. Im a decisive person. I like to have clear distinctions in everything I do. If you choose to walk the same path as me, then you wont have the freedom to change your mind. If you harbor even a trace of hesitation, I wont be pleased. So, Qu Zhian, I hope you carefully consider it. She no longer called her Yan Yan but addressed her as Qu Daren. Qu Zhian felt a bit sad, no, very sad. The wine clouded her thinking, emotions triumphed over reason, making her feel very wronged. She wanted to be good friends with this person because they knew each others secrets, and she could be herself in front of her. They had even stayed together in the same bathtub and drank together. How could they say that they wouldnt associate with each other if they walked different paths? Indeed, she was the one who asked first, and Xin Lan gave a clear response. And even though she already knew the answer would be like this, she still wanted to ask. Xin Lan looked at Qu Zhian, who had a troubled and pained expression, feeling somewhat helpless and amused. Perhaps this was the age-old saying, loyalty and righteousness are hard to reconcile. Although Qu Zhian may not be particularly loyal to Wu Yanqing, she also never had thoughts of rebellion. But Xin Lan intended to seize power and overthrow the current ruler. She had to drag that person down from his position and let his taste loss, to experience what it meant to have nothing. On this path, she absolutely wouldnt tolerate any allies having regrets. Qu Zhian remained silent without responding, and Xin Lan spoke again. Do you know why I came to find you tonight? Because I dont want to face a formidable enemy in the future. Moreover, as you know, Wu Yanqing sees you as a useful minister and even desires you as a woman. If you could stab him in the back ruthlessly, imagine his shock and how intriguing it would be. Xin Lan didnt hide the satisfaction on her face when speaking about that hypothetical scenario. She openly revealed it to Qu Zhian. Im saying all this to let you know that I dont want you to become my pawn. Im not afraid even if you tell Wu Yanqing about my intentions. I wont tell him. You know very well that I would never do such a thing. Qu Zhian immediately retorted, stating that there was no way she would go and tell the Emperor about such matters. She could barely protect Xin Lan, so how could she let her situation worsen? So, Xin Lan stared at Qu Zhian, her gaze like that of a hunting tiger, approaching with deliberate and unhurried steps, Have you made up your mind, Yan Yan? Her voice softened, calling her by her name with an intimate tone, as if her voice was dipped in honey. Qu Zhian felt even more dizzy, wanting to think but finding her mind wandering aimlessly. Do you have the courage to become my ally? I wont force you, but I also dont like dragging things out. If you cant give me an answer tonight, then I will come again tomorrow. Xin Lan straightened her posture, her hands hanging at her sides, and a faint smile appeared on her face. Unlike earlier, she didnt exude an imposing aura, but rather emitted a gentle and graceful demeanor. Thanks to the countless trials in various villainous worlds, where she inhabited female hosts, she had acquired a certain softness in her demeanor. Her character was no longer excessively rigid and masculine, but undergoing gradual changes. After all, female alphas like them didnt possess those particular organs. They relied on pheromones to conquer omegas. Thinking of this, she recalled the first time she was in a villainous world, where she wore the hosts shell resembling Concubine Mans white lotus character. She wanted to intimidate others with her gaze. Although she couldnt emit pheromones, her aura was the same. However, that person actually thought she was flirting with them, which infuriated her to the point where she beat them up on the spot, teaching them the consequences of misinterpreting her gaze. This time, before Xin Lan could reach the door and push it open, Qu Zhian grabbed her hand. Stay here tonight with me. No one will come looking for you in the Cold Palace anyway. Yan Yan, have you made up your mind? I have, Qu Zhian smiled in her eyes, If you were more gentle in nature and cried to me for support, I probably would have lost my temper long ago. Oh? Are you blaming me for not being able to provide you comfort? But if you were to seek comfort, then you wouldnt be Miss Xin anymore. The smile in Qu Zhians eyes became even gentler. Xin Lan, who possessed the gaze that could overlook all beings like the king of beasts, no longer appeared fragile and delicate like a pear blossom in the rain. It wasnt her style. She happened to love her calm and formidable demeanor, which made others pale in comparison. If this Emperor isnt good, we can switch our loyalty to another Emperor. Its all the same. Qu Zhians voice was soft, fading away into the night. She left home to live freely, so why should she endure an Emperor who covets her, causing distress to herself and to her dear Miss Xin? CH 36 Abandoned Empress 11 After listening to Qu Zhians words, Xin Lans face showed a hint of delight. Upon careful consideration, it wouldnt hurt to stay here overnight. Considering how effectively she had dealt with the Emperor, he probably wouldnt be able to attend the morning court tomorrow. He couldnt even take care of himself, let alone have the leisure to seek her out. With this in mind, Xin Lan nodded. Qu Zhian felt delighted in her heart and didnt let go of Xin Lans hand as they walked out in this posture. Theres another wing here, its the one Ah Rou stayed in last time. However, I havent cleaned it up since she moved out, so I hope you wont find it too rudimentary to sleep in. Xin Lan followed Qu Zhian to that wing, but to their surprise, as soon as they opened the door, a mouse quickly darted into the bottom of a cabinet. Yan Yan, it seems like this place really needs a thorough cleaning. Xin Lan said jokingly, in a good mood. Qu Zhian also noticed the fleeting little black shadow and awkwardly rubbed her nose. Well I guarantee there are absolutely none in my room. I have no idea when these little things made their way in here. Qu Zhian muttered, feeling that even a place that hadnt been cleaned for several days had collected some dust, which furrowed her brow. This room is definitely not suitable for you to stay in. How about tonight, you endure a bit and share a bed with me? Qu Zhian suggested, reminiscent of their first encounter, the scene still lingering in her mind. The warmth on their cheeks at that time seemed to still remain, causing her face to immediately flush. Although they were both women, whenever she thought about it, she felt a bit shy. Of course, but But what? Ive always detested being disturbed from my peaceful sleep. Yan Yan, please do not wake me up. Naturally, since I wont attend the court tomorrow, theres no harm in sleeping together until late morning. The two of them reached a consensus and walked hand in hand towards Qu Zhians room. In fact, this semi-drunken state was the most comfortable, not too clear-headed but not too impaired either. They undressed and lay side by side on the bed. Suddenly, Xin Lan remembered something and propped herself up on one side, looking at Qu Zhian. Yan Yan, does it not hurt when you bind your chest every day? Binding the chest is not a pleasant experience. If there werent many curves to begin with, its alright, but if someone is more well-endowed, forcefully compressing it to achieve a male appearance can result in bruises when undone. When Xin Lan brought up the topic, Qu Zhians face almost started to smoke. It doesnt hurt It wasnt really Ive gotten used to it It doesnt really feel like anything. Qu Zhian stammered. In the past, she hadnt thought much about it, as it was convenient for her to present herself as a man. But the thought of Xin Lans softness in front of her left her feeling inexplicably frustrated. It wasnt exactly envy, but rather a more complex emotion that Qu Zhian couldnt express. Xin Lans care made Qu Zhian feel warm and comfortable inside. As long as it doesnt hurt, then go to sleep. You dont have to worry about requesting a leave tomorrow. I dont think the Emperor will have the mood to attend the morning court. Xin Lan chuckled mockingly. If the Emperor could attend the morning court without batting an eye after such an incident, then she would truly have to reevaluate her opinion of him. Oh? Has something happened? I just received word that hes unwell, thats all. Now, go to sleep. Xin Lan lay flat and had Zero Nine fetch her mosquito repellent. The spray was silent, and she held it in her palm, giving it two sprays before putting it back. Qu Zhian nodded and closed her eyes as well. Sleeping until midnight, in a drowsy state, they surprisingly felt much cooler than usual tonight, with even the bothersome mosquitoes not coming to disturb them. While they slept peacefully, someone in the palace was filled with indignation. Wu Yanqing had finally endured the effects of the acupoints, but when he found that he could move again, his whole body felt numb. He had been acupunctured on his side, and now that he could move, he instinctively fell flat. However, his finger was still inside his body hole, and due to the force of the fall, it went in even deeper. Wu Yanqings face immediately contorted in an even uglier expression, and as soon as his hand was able to move, he quickly pulled it out. Tonight was simply the most humiliating day in his 26 years of life. He, the mighty Emperor, was actually treated in such a manner in his own palace, his own imperial residence. Moreover, that person managed to escape, and Wu Yanqing had no idea what they looked like. The pain at his back persisted, and he suspected that the bloodstains had already dried up. Thinking about that audacious sightseeing act, he wanted to find the person and tear them into pieces, then feed them to the dogs. He dug out the dagger from his own body. As he worked, his face alternated between red and pale. Nevertheless, he managed to retrieve the object that had been fully inserted. The dagger was plain and unremarkable, as if it were just a common one bought from the street. There were no marks left on it, only the bloodstains from the reckless insertion. Wu Yanqing felt disgusted as he looked at the bloodstains on the dagger. His stomach churned, and the pain emanating from his back and lower body made him even more restless. He forcefully slammed the dagger onto the ground and loudly commanded the eunuchs outside to bring water for him to bathe. He attempted to sit up from the bed, causing the wound on his back to be pulled, sending waves of pain through his body. What made him even more miserable was the discomfort between his legs. His eyes turned bloodshot, and in helplessness, he took a few awkward steps with splayed legs, his hips widely apart. Annoyed and embarrassed, he smashed whatever he could reach nearby. Mei An waited outside the door, fearful and trembling, unaware of the reason for his masters anger. After the hot water was brought in, several palace maids prepared to serve him, but they were frightened off by the Emperors gloomy expression. Theres no need to have anyone attend to me here. Go fetch an Imperial Physician. Yes, understood. Wu Yanqing soaked in the hot water, his fingers tightly clenched into fists, enduring the stinging pain from his back wound as he cleaned the injured area below. The Imperial Physician arrived, but Wu Yanqing didnt speak. He didnt even dare to enter and waited in the outer hall. When Wu Yanqing felt that he had cleaned himself thoroughly and that the words written in blood on his back had disappeared, he slowly put on his pants and moved back to the bed. With his upper body bare, he waited for the Imperial Physician to come and administer medicine. The Imperial Physician walked in and saw the mark left by the stabbing on the Emperors back. His heart trembled, and he silently began applying medicine. Your Majesty, do you want a few doses of blood-nourishing and Qi-boosting medicine? Mm. As the Imperial Physician finished tidying up the medicine bottles and prepared to leave, he heard the Emperor calling him back. A few days ago, a beauty was summoned to attend my bedchamber, but the movements were a bit excessive. Do you have any medicine for soothing and healing injuries? We have it. I will prepare it and have it sent to you. The Imperial Physician replied, understanding the request. Wu Yanqing nodded in acknowledgment, and the Imperial Physician quickly retreated. Once the person left, Wu Yanqings expression changed. In the realm of martial arts and the court, they had always remained separate. He didnt have complete control over power yet, so if he were to launch a full investigation to pursue someone who might not even be apprehended, it would likely be reported to the court by his ministers. But he found it difficult to swallow this resentment. The commander of the Imperial Guards happened to be his own person, and he couldnt bear to issue a severe punishment. After all, the commander was a pawn he had painstakingly cultivated. Due to his physical discomfort, Wu Yanqing tossed and turned for a long time without being able to fall asleep. After preparing the medicine, the Imperial Physician quickly brought it to him. Wu Yanqing held the porcelain bottle, his face filled with deep solemnity. As he extended a finger to administer the medicine to himself, he remembered the persons mocking words. Anger welled up within him, tempting him to throw away the item in his hand, but he forcefully suppressed it. As the first light of day broke, warm sunshine bathed the earth. Qu Zhian woke up with a slight headache and saw Xin Lan nestled beside her. Last night, they had fallen asleep properly, but now Xin Lans body was pressed against hers. Xin Lans sleeping expression was serene, emanating a gentleness that Qu Zhian rarely saw. Qu Zhian looked at her and felt that her headache had improved somewhat. She continued to gaze at Xin Lans peaceful sleeping face. In no time at all, Xin Lan opened her eyes, and her dark pupils met Qu Zhians gaze. What are you looking at, Yan Yan? It would be quite eerie for anyone to wake up early and find someone staring at them. Nothing in particular. I was just lost in thought. Qu Zhians denied, pretending to come back to her senses. Xin Lan didnt ask further and got up from the bed. Her clothes still carried the lingering scent of alcohol from last night, but Qu Zhian was fine as she had spare clothes to change into. Xin Lan intended to pick up her old clothes from yesterday to wear, but Qu Zhian stopped her. These clothes are already dirty. How about I go out now and buy you a new set? If youre not able to enter the palace during the day, we can spend the whole day together, play and have fun, and you can return in the evening. Its been a long time since you last went out for leisure, hasnt it? Qu Zhian looked at Xin Lan with anticipation. If they could spend a day together, they could have tea and engage in various enjoyable activities. Xin Lan thought it was feasible and nodded. Buy clothes in low-key colors, nothing too flashy. It would be best if you also buy me a veil. If we happen to encounter someone familiar on the way, it could be troublesome. This capital city, while not excessively large, was also not small. Although the original owner of Xin Lans body didnt show herself often and never came out to meet people while she was in the Chamber of Literature, she had spent several years as the Empress. Even though she had abdicated now, the officials and their families who had seen her still recognized her face. Speaking of which, these recent missions may have had elements that fit the image of the host, otherwise how would the names be exactly the same and even have a resemblance in appearance? Qu Zhian listened to her instructions and nodded in agreement. Qu Zhian went out, leaving Xin Lan alone in the room wearing her inner clothes. Xin Lan first studied the furnishings in the room and then pushed open the door to explore the other rooms. The courtyard wasnt big or small, consisting of three rooms. One was Qu Zhians own bedroom, another was a guest room that wasnt frequently used, and the third was Qu Zhians study. Without the owners permission, Xin Lan didnt intrude but stood by the window, glancing inside at the books and calligraphy hanging on the walls. She then returned to her room and continued lying on the bed with her eyes closed. Qu Zhian returned with the clothes and veil she had bought and placed them in front of Xin Lan. After Xin Lan put on the clothes and freshened up briefly, she prepared to go out and have breakfast with Qu Zhian. Theres a delicious wonton stall in a nearby alley. Ill take you there. Qu Zhian said excitedly, wanting to share all the good food and fun she knew with Xin Lan. They closed and locked the door, then walked out together. Xin Lans hand was held by Qu Zhian, and she didnt resist, following her lead. The street was bustling with people, an atmosphere that was impossible to find in the Cold Palace. They arrived at the wonton stall that Qu Zhian had mentioned, and the lady wiped the table with a smile. Young master, youre here again! Oh, and youve brought your wife this time? CH 37 Abandoned Empress 12 Its no wonder the lady misunderstood. The hair bun on Xin Lans head is a married womans hairstyle, and Qu Zhian, a girl, is holding her hand. At first glance, it would appear that Xin Lan is Qu Zhians wife. Qu Zhian was initially taken aback, her face slightly turning red. She vaguely responded and looked at Xin Lan. Seeing her lack of objection, she pulled her and sat down on a stool. What reaction could Xin Lan have? Being mistaken, she didnt show any signs of surprise. She sat openly in the chair, waiting for Qu Zhian to order two bowls of wonton soup. As Qu Zhian settled down and saw Xin Lans calm demeanor, she didnt know why she felt embarrassed. She inwardly despised herself, and after making arrangements with the lady, she waited for the wonton soup to be served. Qu Zhian wasnt mistaken; the wonton soup in this house was indeed delicious. The aroma wafted to Xin Lans nostrils, prompting her to remove her veil. The clear soup in the white porcelain bowl, with the wontons neatly packed, had thin skin and a generous filling. A sprinkle of chopped green onions on top made it visually appealing. When the lady brought the wonton soup over, she saw Xin Lans face and was momentarily stunned. She praised Qu Zhian for being fortunate to marry such a beautiful and attractive lady. Qu Zhian felt a surge of embarrassment from the ladys comments, and she discreetly glanced at Xin Lan from the corner of her eye. With a composed demeanor, she expressed her gratitude. Xin Lan smiled faintly without uttering a word. She resembled a demure and reserved young lady. Qu Zhian knew that she had no interest in speaking and focused on scooping up the wontons with a spoon. After finishing their breakfast, it was already broad daylight. The sunlight cast upon people, causing a slight sense of dryness. Qu Zhian wiped off the thin sweat from her forehead and led Xin Lan towards the teahouse. In this scorching summer, the interior of the teahouse provided some cool shade. Ordering a pot of cold tea and a few plates of refreshing pastries, they sat down there. Listening to the storyteller narrating interesting tales, the morning swiftly passed by. As Xin Lan enjoyed the tea and pastries, she listened to the storyteller recounting tales of love, hatred, and conflicts, finding it quite captivating. This life is indeed much more fulfilling than staying in the Cold Palace, or even when I was the Empress. The storyteller today is narrating a romantic tale. Regardless of the era, people always enjoy stories where the characters have disparate backgrounds, whether its a wealthy young lady and a poor scholar in ancient times or a modern office worker and a domineering CEO. Today, he is telling the story of a small performer from a theatrical troupe and the affair with the general in command. The theatrical troupe performs and one day a little beggar secretly watches the actors perform. The kind-hearted performer takes pity on the beggar who has nothing to eat or wear and secretly provides assistance. However, the troupe leader discovers it and severely punishes the performer. Later, when the performer takes the stage again, a wealthy young man touches the performers hand, and the beggar goes into a frenzy, attacking him. The audience below expresses sighs of sympathy, anticipating the beggars unfortunate fate. As expected, the storyteller continues, revealing that the beggar is beaten by the wealthy young mans servant and thrown into the mountains where wild beasts and dogs reside. When the performer hears about this, they are unable to find the beggar anymore. The little performer sneaked out, enduring fear as they walked along the mountain road, searching throughout the entire night, but couldnt find the beggar. The storyteller portrayed the image of the little performer exceptionally well, vividly depicting their frailty. It felt as if one could truly see the performer taking hesitant steps, stumbling and searching inch by inch in the mountains. Xin Lan remained expressionless, sipping her cold tea and listening. There was neither sorrow nor joy on her face, as if nothing could move her. Qu Zhian initially felt some sympathy in her heart, but as she observed Xin Lans demeanor, that sense of pity diminished. Laner, dont you find this story touching? Qu Zhian mustered the courage to call out that address, and after saying it, she felt a sense of relief. Upon hearing Qu Zhians address, Xin Lan merely raised an eyebrow and silently agreed. It is touching, but perhaps my heart has grown cold and indifferent over time, making me impervious to such emotions. This feeling is probably the result of the indifference that exists between the strong and the weak. Xin Lan wasnt completely unaffected; she simply sighed, realizing that if she were stronger, she wouldnt have to suffer for a love like this. Its like someone born into a wealthy family who will never understand why people argue and break relationships over a few hundred dollars worth of things. The metaphor may not be entirely fitting, but it is indeed true. Xin Lan couldnt see herself as a character in a play, so naturally, she wouldnt be moved by it. Qu Zhian wanted to refute Xin Lans claim of being cold-hearted, but at that moment, she couldnt find the right words. However, deep down, she stubbornly believed that Xin Lan was actually warm-hearted. Xin Lan always managed to provide her with a sense of tranquility, even when sitting there in silence. Her demeanor is complex, neither calm nor aloof. If one were to find a word to describe it, it would probably be disdain. Being in a position of superiority, she feels detached from worldly matters, yet she is not devoid of temperament. At times, she can be as vivid as an ink landscape painting. Such thoughts may seem absurd, but they also feel true. After spending the morning at the teahouse, Qu Zhian took Xin Lan to a well-reputed restaurant she had visited before. They ordered fine food and wine, enjoying their meal and having a small drink. As the sun became uncomfortably hot, Qu Zhian brought Xin Lan to the lakeside. A lotus picker sat in a pointed boat, maneuvering through the blooming lotus flowers. In her hands, she held lotus pods and skillfully weaved them into a beautiful hat using broad lotus leaves. The swaying, vibrant green became a refreshing sight in the midst of summer. Qu Zhian rented a small boat and let Xin Lan sit in it. She paddled along the water, gliding into the depths of the lotus lake. Looking up from the boat while lying down, one could only see an exceptionally blue sky, with soft white clouds leisurely drifting by, creating a serene atmosphere. The clean lake water reflected the bright sky, occasionally accompanied by the distant chirping of birds. White water birds flew over the lakes surface, causing small ripples. Qu Zhian reached out and plucked a lotus pod, placing it in Xin Lans hand. Yan Yan, you really know how to enjoy. Judging by your proficient appearance, do you often come to this place? I have only been here twice, but the first time left a lasting impression. This is truly a wonderful place. However, I dont always have the leisure to come here. Today is a perfect opportunity to escape the summer heat. I appreciate it. Xin Lan was never one to be stingy with her gratitude. She knew and appreciated the kindness others showed her. Yan Yan. Xin Lan watched the person sitting by the edge of the boat, playing with the cool lake water, and softly called out. Hmm? Do you want to experience the feeling of wielding power and influence over the court? Qu Zhians body trembled at these words, but she didnt lose her composure. She carefully pondered for a moment before giving her answer. I only wish to stand in a position where I can fully protect you and support any decision you make. The person saying these words felt extremely delighted in her heart. Xin Lan peeled a lotus seed and placed it near Qu Zhians lips. With such a loyal friend, what more could a person ask for? In the evening, Xin Lan returned to the palace. Si Tong and Chun Yue had been unable to see Xin Lan all day, and they felt unsettled. When they saw Xin Lan return, a sense of relief washed over them. They didnt inquire about where their mistress had been; instead, one asked if she had eaten dinner, while the other went to pour cold tea. Mistress, the Empress came looking for you during the day. This servant informed her that you had a restless sleep yesterday and were currently resting, so she went back. What did she come to find me for? She didnt mention the purpose, just said she will come again tomorrow. Xin Lan nodded, indicating her understanding. If Xin Long came to find her, it was most likely regarding the Emperor and the Xin familys affairs. Considering the current situation, it was probably the latter. Coincidentally, there were some matters she needed to discuss with Lord Zuo, the father of the original owner of her body. Once a woman is married, it is not easy for her to visit her family frequently, especially if she marries into the Imperial Palace. If she wants to come and visit, it is not easy unless she receives special favor and grace from the Emperor. Clearly, the Emperor does not want Xin Long to have frequent meetings with her family. However, if she requests to see them under the pretext of missing her family, the Emperor cannot outright refuse. Xin Long paced around in the palace. Being young, she couldnt hide things in her heart. Today, her mother came to the palace and discussed some matters with her, causing her to feel anxious. However, she couldnt reveal her worries in front of others, and it wasnt appropriate to disturb her aunt while she was resting. This matter was not urgent. Even if she was naive, she knew that the Xin family was declining. Even if she urgently told her aunt about this matter, what difference would it make? Feeling disheartened, she sat down on a chair and decided to talk to her aunt tomorrow. Ming Xiang, am I useless? I cant help with anything. Mistress, please dont belittle yourself like that. We do what we can and leave the rest to fate. Ming Xiang comforted softly, patting the back of her young mistress. Xin Lan was unaware of her young nieces current state of worry and frustration. Although she had just returned from outside the palace, she was not idle. She had other matters to attend to, plans that she had set in motion early on. The moon rose above the willow branches, and it was the time when the mansions and pavilions of Qin and Chu opened their doors to welcome guests. Dong Huaixi changed into civilian clothes and walked along the road, feeling rather gloomy with a dark expression on his face. Today, His Majesty had summoned him into the palace and severely reprimanded him, saying that an assassin had infiltrated last night without the Imperial Guards being aware. Fortunately, the assassin wasnt too formidable; they only inflicted a minor injury on him before hastily escaping, fearing they would attract attention. Dong Huaixi immediately knelt down to apologize, but thankfully, the Emperor did not pursue the matter further. Instead, he instructed Dong Huaixi to strengthen the patrols in the surrounding area, emphasizing that it was not convenient to make a big fuss about it to avoid giving potential adversaries further opportunities for action. He understood His Majestys concerns. If news of this incident were to spread, those who wished to bring him down would undoubtedly seize the opportunity to have him punished. It was His Majesty who personally promoted him to his current position, and he would never allow such a thing to happen. Dong Huaixi felt both annoyed and ashamed. He strengthened the defenses and took on a new shift tonight, coming out to drink and alleviate his frustration. He had a courtesan named Jieyu Hua in the Hongxiu Pavilion. Originally, he had intended to redeem her and bring her back home, but unfortunately, his family had a formidable matriarch. If he were to really bring her back, it would surely cause an uproar. He had no choice but to continue watching Jieyu Hua stay in that worldly place and visit her whenever he had the opportunity. With these thoughts in mind, Dong Huaixi quickened his pace. In the Hongxiu Pavilion, the scents of rouge, powder, and alcohol mingled together, creating an intoxicating aroma. A mellifluous melody was plucked from the strings, intoxicating those who listened. Xin Lan watched as the woman collected the silver and stood by the window. Thank you for your trouble, Miss. Please rest assured. CH 38 Abandoned Empress 13 Xin Lan climbed out of the window and floated down lightly to the ground, then scaled the wall and stepped onto a nearby tree branch, concealing her figure amidst the leaves. If she wanted to bring down the Emperor from his position, she would inevitably have to first remove his henchmen, just as he had done to the Xin family. Xin Lans first target was the Commander of the Imperial Guards, also known as the Imperial Forest Army, responsible for protecting the safety of the imperial city. This was the first lock Wu Yanqing had placed upon himself. After investigating for several days, Xin Lan pretended to pass by the Commander of the Imperial Guards and had Zero Nine scan his situation, piecing together the information through snippets of conversation from neighbors. Dong Huaixi, this person, was indeed one of Wu Yanqings more loyal subordinatescompetent, with a clean family background, easily manipulated, and not easily swayed by other influential powers. Xin Lan had no intention of using coercion or temptation. For what she needed to accomplish, the slow process of gradually building influence and infiltrating was too time-consuming. She required efficiency. So, she chose a rather villainous approach to pave her path as the protagonist. Dong Huaixi had a beloved in the brothel, and a fierce wife at home. He couldnt redeem himself for that person. As soon as Xin Lan learned of this, she immediately began her investigation. Ironically, Dong Huaixis so-called beloved in the brothel was merely a perfunctory presence to him. She only loved Dong Huaixi for being more generous with money than other patrons and for showing a bit more tenderness. To say she was heartless in her pretense would be an overstatement because she had someone in her heartshe had feelings for a physician in a medical clinic. The physician was benevolent, always helping others and relieving their suffering, yet he often found himself in dire straits. She would frequently visit his clinic, bringing him food and supporting his business. The story seemed to always unfold this way: he loved her, but she loved someone else. However, this wasnt Xin Lans concern. She told the young woman that if she could help her accomplish a certain task, she would redeem her. Who wouldnt want to live an upright life? Xin Lan didnt want her to scheme for wealth or harm anyone. She only needed her to light a certain incense and jingle some bells. The young woman quickly agreed. The timing for Dong Huaixis visit happened to be tonight, so Xin Lan immediately left her house and arrived at the Hongxiu Pavilion, making the necessary arrangements. She gave the young woman a portion of silver as a down payment to put her at ease, waiting for her prey to arrive. As Dong Huaixi entered the room, a strong fragrance immediately greeted his senses. Suddenly, he felt a bit dizzy. He shook his head to clear his mind, yet found the intoxicating scent quite pleasant. Why is there a different fragrance today? Mother recently acquired some new spices, so I asked for a few. I find them quite delightful. My lord, dont you like it? Qingqing leaned against him, softly pressing her body against his. Dong Huaixi paid no attention to the fragrance anymore, embracing the person in his arms and shaking his head absentmindedly. Why wouldnt I like it? Whatever my darling Qingqing loves, I love too. Come, sit down and have a drink with me, lets chat. Qingqing nodded, secretly relieved. If this man had impatiently tried to go straight to the bed, she would have had to find a way to jingle the bells. But since he suggested drinking right away, it provided a good opportunity to buy more time. Dong Huaixi shared some amusing stories, bringing great joy to Qingqing in his embrace. Little did he know whether it was the intoxicating wine or something else, but his head was spinning unusually. My lord, I have learned a new dance. Would you like to see it? With a soft voice, Qingqing asked, and Dong Huaixi nodded, releasing his hand from her waist. Qingqing picked up a string of bells from the dressing table and swayed them along with her dance. Sitting there, Dong Huaixis expression grew increasingly vacant, until he seemed completely lost in thought. Following the womans instructions, Qingqing continued shaking the bells for dozens of times, then set them down, anxiously gazing at the seated figure. A pebble flew in through the window, striking her neck with pinpoint accuracy. Xin Lan entered through the window and waved her hand in front of the mentally vacant Dong Huaixi. Dong Huaixis gaze was unfocused, as if he hadnt seen the presence of this person. Xin Lan was highly satisfied. It was worth having Ah Rou collect various medicinal herbs and spices for days to create this soul-lost incense. A golden needle appeared in Xin Lans hand. Skillfully avoiding the lethal areas, she buried the needle inside Dong Huaixis brain. Dong Huaixis expression grew even more vacant, yet he could still see Xin Lan. From now on, I am your master, understood? Yes. Dong Huaixi nodded, his movements stiff. What did the Emperor say to you today? Dong Huaixi repeated it word for word, aligning closely with the summary that Xin Lan had heard from Zero Nine earlier. Xin Lan gently shook Qingqing, who, unaware of what had just happened, stood up from the ground. She didnt understand why she had suddenly lost consciousness but upon seeing the peculiar woman in front of her, she immediately understood the reason. Everything will proceed as usual. Let this incense burn out, and tomorrow I will send someone to redeem you. Qingqing nodded. She was simply doing her job for money and didnt want to think too much about it. Xin Lan took the bells from the table and once again slipped out through the window. Faint tinkling sounds drifted in from outside the window. Dong Huaixi shook his head, pressing his hand against his own head. What just happened? He feel a bit dizzy, but the woman in front of him continues to dance so gracefully, as if nothing is wrong. My lord, whats the matter? Is my dance not pleasing? Qingqings heart was pounding, yet she forced herself to maintain composure and inquire. How could it not be? Its beautiful, incredibly beautiful. After hearing their conversation, Xin Lans figure flickered, disappearing from the spot and reappearing on the bustling street, making her way towards the palace. This method of controlling people is more like the tactics of a villain. Its not the kind of approach a protagonist would take. It lacks grandeur and fails to win peoples hearts and minds. Xin Lan, on the other hand, didnt really care. As long as she could achieve her goals, that was all that mattered. In the past, she would have simply killed them outright. But now she had learned to keep someone alive for manipulation. She wasnt sure if she had become better or worse. Xin Lan entered the Jade Moon Palace, removing the veil from her face. Though the veil was thin and didnt cover much of her face, it still provided some degree of blurring in peoples memories. After spending the whole day like this, Xin Lan lay down on her bed and quickly fell asleep. The next day, Xin Long came to find her and shared the news she had to tell. Aunt, Granduncle is not doing well. Xin Lan was also taken aback by the words and fell silent for a moment. Xin Longs granduncle was her own grandfather, her mothers father, the Great General Zhenyuan. Come to think of it, the old man was getting up in years. The position of the Xin family today owes much to the efforts of the Great General Zhenyuan, who invested considerable thought into finding a suitable son-in-law. Xin Sheng also proved himself by riding on the coattails of his father-in-laws influence, steadily climbing higher and higher. As a result, the relationship between the Xin family and that side was quite close. Once the Great General Zhenyuan fell, the Xin family would undoubtedly weaken. They were already struggling to hold on, and with his downfall, the situation would become even less optimistic. Clearly, everyone in the Xin family was well aware of the gravity of the situation, and even Xin Long couldnt help but feel anxious. After comforting her niece, Xin Lan began contemplating the upcoming meeting with the Prime Minister. On the other side, Wu Yanqing had recovered somewhat and finally remembered the encounter at the Jade Moon Palace. He summoned the guard who went there to inquire about the incident. Trembling, the guard explained that on that day, for some unknown reason, the former Empress was not affected by the confusion. Instead, she used an object to knock him unconscious, dragged him outside the palace, and closed the door behind them. Wu Yanqing didnt consider Xin Lan as good fortune but rather thought the guard was useless for being knocked unconscious by a woman. When sending him away, he gave Mei An a meaningful glance. Mei An understood and suggested inviting the guard for a drink. As the guard drank a poisoned cup, Mei An kicked his lifeless body to the ground. Several tens of days passed like this, seemingly calm on the surface but with hidden undercurrents surging beneath. The situation in the court grew increasingly tense, and Wu Yanqing had no time to spare for Xin Lan, so he stopped seeking trouble with her. Xin Long was left hanging by him. In the imperial harem, he often visited Concubine Xi and Concubine Gui, but their interactions mainly involved sleeping together. Although Wu Yanqing had the intention to engage in such activities, for some reason, whenever he attempted, he felt a chilling sensation as if a blade was scraping against him. Then the memory of that tearing pain would emerge, leaving him with a sullen face and no interest at all. Concubine Gui bit her handkerchief and shed tears after the Emperor left. Not only was there a possibility that His Majesty couldnt impregnate anyone, but he also lacked the vigor he once had. She sent someone to inquire about recent happenings in the palace, but there were no recent seductresses captivating the Emperors heart. This left her feeling frustrated. Concubine Xi also noticed this, but her reaction was different from Concubine Guis. Silently, she arranged for some mood-enhancing spices and prepared tonics to invigorate the Emperors health. As a result, the Emperor regained his former majesty in Concubine Xis presence but lacked enthusiasm when visiting others. Concubine Gui watched with envy, seething with anger inside the palace. Xin Lan paid no attention to the actions of these women. Her focus was now on the previous dynasty. The support in front was lost, so what could she expect from the back? Conversely, even if she managed to overthrow these individuals behind her, new people would enter the palace. The Xin family had always advocated for the Emperors benefit, using the excuse of enriching the harem with a selection of beauties. The Emperor had no reason to refuse, and after granting permission, he flew into a rage in the study room in front of Qu Zhian. Zhian, look at how pitifully I, the Emperor, am perceived. Even matters in the harem are dictated by those meddlesome individuals. Do you know how unwilling I am? Wu Yanqing stared directly at the minister below with urgency in his voice. He didnt want Qu Zhian to see him as a ruler enthralled by beauty, surrounded by numerous beautiful women. He feared his disapproval. Furthermore, he knew that the selection process this time would certainly have individuals inserted by the Xin family. Your Majesty, please calm down. It is unwise to act impulsively and disrupt grand plans. Even if things go according to their wishes, you are the Emperor. As long as Your Majesty is unwilling, no one in this world can force you. Qu Zhian bowed respectfully, speaking calmly to the furious Wu Yanqing. It was as if a gentle breeze had entered his heart, extinguishing his anger. Wu Yanqing found comfort in hearing those words, especially coming from Qu Zhians mouth. Looking into his eyes, he felt as though he empathized with him. The monarch and minister continued their conversation, discussing matters until there was nothing more to say. Reluctantly, they bid farewell to each other. As Qu Zhian pushed open the door and stepped outside, the eunuchs, palace maids, and guards at the door quickly saluted. She had become a prominent figure in recent times, highly favored by the Emperor. It was only after Qu Zhian sat in the carriage that her expression changed. A cold smirk appeared on her face, tinged with subtle irony. In recent days, she had become much more composed, no longer displaying her emotions so openly. The Emperor used her as a tool to eliminate two individuals, and in turn, she achieved her temporary goals through the Emperors support. Finally, she understood the benefits of power. It could make people come crawling, flatter and fear her. It also allowed her to do what she wanted. On the day when Xin Lan closed her net, the Emperor would come to know what it felt like to be the ruler and yet be forced into a corner, left with nothing. CH 39 Abandoned Empress 14 Xin Lan selectively controlled certain individuals, turning them into her puppets. One reason was that the Lost Soul Incense was not easy to come by, so Xin Lan had to be frugal and not waste it on insignificant people. Another reason was that the fragrance of the Lost Soul Incense was too strong. If it were used in places like Hongxiu Pavilion, where people sought pleasure and revelry, it wouldnt stand out much. However, if the intense aroma suddenly wafted through other locations, anyone would become suspicious. Fortunately, among the people Xin Lan wanted to control, none of them avoided those places, so she systematically infiltrated them one by one. Apart from the Commander of the Imperial Army, she also controlled three individuals holding important positions. As a result, four courtesans were redeemed. Three of them went their separate ways, while one willingly stayed by Xin Lans side. That one happened to be the courtesan they initially redeemed, named Qingqing. Xin Lan had intended for her to be redeemed and leave, and Qingqing did just that, happily setting off to find the physician she had taken a liking to, lingering by his side. However, it didnt take long for Ah Rou to discover her sitting at the entrance of the medical clinic and report it to Xin Lan. Xin Lan asked why she had come, and Qingqing looked at Xin Lan, her eyes as lifeless as a stagnant pond. You are a formidable person. I want to follow you. What about the lover you fancy? Hes getting married. Qingqings expression remained calm, as if she didnt care at all. But if she truly didnt care, her eyes wouldnt be so dull and lifeless. He doesnt mind my tainted past. Thats what Qingqing said. But he desires someone pure enough. If you want to stay, do your job well. I dont keep idle people around here. Yes. It turned out that Qingqing might not have the business acumen of Ah Rou, but she definitely knew how to please. Each time, she negotiated with the medicine merchants or procured the things Xin Lan desired from elsewhere. As time passed day by day, everything proceeded in an orderly manner. Unbeknownst to her, the leaves in the courtyard had already fallen, signaling the changing seasons. When Xin Lan first arrived, it was the scorching heat of summer. Now, the lotus flowers at the lake she once visited with Qu Zhian to escape the summer heat had withered away. Autumn clouds lingered, and frost descended in the evening, leaving behind the dry lotus to listen to the sound of rain. The pitter-patter of raindrops tapped against the eaves, tracing their way down. Xin Lan stood in front of the hall, gazing at the curtains of rain outside. The rain suddenly intensified, and the wind lifted Xin Lans hair and the corners of her clothes, bringing with it a touch of chilly rain. The wind roared like a mountain being uprooted, and the rain poured down like a river unleashed. This was no exaggeration. As the weather turns cooler, my lady, please be cautious not to catch a cold. Chun Yue stepped forward and draped a sable fur coat over Xin Lan, standing by her side. Xin Lan softly responded, feeling that these days had lost some flavor. The game of politics was destined to be a patient process. In the two or three months she had been here, apart from the first month when there was more commotion, leading to the downfall of Concubine Man, controlling a few puppets, communicating with the Prime Minister, and liaising with Qu Zhian, she hadnt done much else. The Emperor was preoccupied with the affairs of the previous dynastys harem, and he had no time or attention to spare for plotting against her. Gradually, the entire court was falling under her control. Qu Zhian knew it, the Prime Minister knew it, but the Emperor remained blissfully unaware. A month and a half ago, the grand selection of Imperial Concubines began, and the final group was placed in the Chuxiu Palace. It took quite a while for the beauties to be meticulously chosen and finalized, with each woman being assigned a specific rank and title. The Noble Consort and Concubine Xi were busy inspecting the newcomers, bringing liveliness back to the palace, except for the Liangyue Palace, which remained as desolate as ever. Whether it was bustling or desolate, Xin Lan paid no mind. She had become a forgotten existence, which made it even more convenient for her to come and go from the palace. When the rain subsided, Xin Lan went to Qu Zhians residence. Qu Zhian no longer lived in that small courtyard. Her mansion had been renovated a month and a half ago, and she had moved in. The small courtyard that Xin Lan had purchased was now rented out to someone else. Why did you come in the rain? Qu Zhian saw Xin Lan walking over without even holding an umbrella, her dark hair dampened with droplets, her clothes and skirt bearing watermarks. She frowned. I had someone prepare a bowl of ginger soup for you. Qu Zhian used a handkerchief to wipe away the watermarks on Xin Lans face, her gaze fixed on the gently trembling eyelashes, feeling her heart soften. I only came when the rain subsided a bit. Otherwise, judging by the sky and the rain, it would have lasted a long time. Not long after Xin Lans words faded, a rumbling sound echoed from outside. The thunder seemed capable of shattering the entire world, as dark clouds crowded the sky, enveloping the entire capital in rain. Xin Lan looked at Qu Zhian with an expression that said, See, I told you. But is there something urgent that couldnt wait? Are you saying Yan Yan doesnt welcome me? How could that be? Oh, Laner, youve misunderstood me. The moment you arrive, my world lights up with radiance. Im so delighted, I couldnt possibly find fault with you. Qu Zhian found a set of clean clothes for Xin Lan and placed them in her hands. Xin Lan didnt refuse and stood up, moving behind a folding screen to change her attire. Qu Zhian didnt leave either; she watched the graceful silhouette behind the folding screen. To be honest, there isnt anything else. I just wanted to ask how your conversation with my father went? Xin Lan draped her wet clothes over the folding screen and put on the soft, clean ones. She would occasionally come here, so Qu Zhian had two sets of womens clothing stored in her wardrobe, tucked away at the very bottom. The plan went smoothly. The pawns under the Prime Ministers control were seemingly rendered useless, but they still serve a purpose. I see. However, even if its just for show, the Xin family has been significantly weakened. If one day you truly achieve what you want, do you intend to slowly rebuild it? Qu Zhian wasnt surprised that Xin Lan managed to persuade the Prime Minister. She and the Prime Minister appeared to be adversaries in the court, but in reality, many things were carefully orchestrated. Lets see how things unfold. I dont have that intention in my heart. I cannot afford to become the second Wu Yanqing. Xin Lan recalled her conversation with the Prime Minister two months ago. It was an afternoon when she had sent someone to invite him to a teahouse. When the Prime Minister arrived and saw that it was his estranged daughter in the Cold Palace, his eyes were filled with disbelief, as if they were about to fall out of their sockets. Xin Lan didnt bother with pleasantries or pretend to have any father-daughter sentiments. She poured a cup of tea for the Prime Minister and began discussing matters at hand. As the conversation progressed, the Prime Ministers initial excitement and astonishment gradually cooled, and his expression turned icy as he pondered the situation. Xin Lan wasnt persuading him; she was simply presenting the facts before the Prime Minister. The decline of the Xin family was inevitable. No matter how they tried to maintain their position, it would be futile. After all, even if he stretched his limits, he was still a subject. If the Emperor wanted to take action, there was little they could do. In the palace, Xin Lan and Xin Long both faced dire circumstances. One was deposed, while the other was merely a facade. Moreover, the Emperor had no interest in deceitful gestures. If the original owner, who had accompanied him for five years, could be deposed, there was no way the Xin family could rely on the palace to save them. Xin Lan told the Prime Minister that if they wanted to preserve the lives of the Xin family, they must first sacrifice something. For example, the tightly held, unwilling-to-be-relinquished power in their hands. Qu Zhian was currently favored by the Emperor, a trusted confidant, and an indispensable minister. The Emperor saw her as a sharp sword. What Xin Lan wanted to do was make that sword appear even sharper, causing the Emperor to let down his guard and ultimately impale himself. At first, the Prime Minister hesitated, but Xin Lan displayed a strong stance. She openly declared that Qu Zhian belonged to her. If the Prime Minister was unwilling to cooperate, then she would have no choice but to disregard their familial ties and proceed with what she needed to do. Initially, the Prime Minister worried that it might be a trap set by the Emperor, designed to make the Xin family willingly relinquish power. However, Xin Lan slowly revealed the sufferings endured by the original owner, recounting one ordeal after another. No one hated Wu Yanqing more than she did, and no one desired to see Wu Yanqing meet a miserable end more than she did. However, no matter what, the Prime Minister was still the original owners father, someone who had watched his beloved daughter grow up. After hearing Xin Lans explanations, he was deeply shaken. Yet, he still did not give an immediate answer, and Xin Lan didnt push him. The conversation ended there. Later, Xin Lan commanded her puppets to act according to Qu Zhians wishes. Qu Zhian had become the leader of a new faction in the court, removing a lucrative position held by the Xin family. It was then that the Prime Minister finally relented. In these two months, the Prime Minister and Qu Zhian seamlessly cooperated. One pretended to have their influence dismantled, while the other pretended to be diligently working. Wu Yanqing was delighted, and because of this, he regarded Qu Zhian as a capable individual, restraining himself from making any further advances. This spared Qu Zhian from some harassment. Xin Lan reveled in this development. She was creating a beautiful dream for Wu Yanqing, making him happy, allowing him to become increasingly complacent and joyful. When he woke up from this dream, he would realize how painful the fall would be. From the very beginning, Xin Lan had no intention of continuing to support the Xin family. What she wanted was her own power, not to control a power that controlled her. Although the Xin family was her nominal maternal side, it held no significance to her. She would rather see Qu Zhian ascend to a position above ten thousand others than let the Xin family linger on a single peak. Xin Lan emerged after changing her clothes, her hair loosely cascading over her shoulders. As she sat on the chair, Qu Zhian pushed a cup of hot tea in front of her. If not the Xin family, then who do you plan to support? Qu Zhian asked, already knowing the answer but wanting to hear Xin Lan say it herself, to hear it with her own ears. So now Yan Yan has also learned the art of asking rhetorical questions. Besides you, who else in this court can put my mind at ease? Like Xiao Daren and Li Daren? Qu Zhian smiled as she mentioned a few names, all of whom were puppets manipulated by Xin Lan. But all of them combined still cant compare to you, Yan Yan. Xin Lan propped her chin up and looked up at Qu Zhian, speaking earnestly. The hand that Qu Zhian had placed at her side couldnt help but curl and relax again, struggling to contain the pounding sound in her chest. In the face of those eyes, she couldnt help but feel a slight palpitation. Laner, youre overestimating me. Qu Zhian replied, speaking calmly without showing any signs of being flustered. Speaking the truth. Xin Lan said with a slight smile. She stood up and opened the window slightly, observing the pouring rain outside. Such heavy rain. I wonder if it will stop tonight. If it doesnt, its no problem. You can stay here with me. Xin Lan nodded in agreement and continued to gaze at the large raindrops, falling like detached beads from the sky, scattering and merging with other droplets on the ground. In truth, Xin Lan didnt have a pressing need to make this trip today. There wasnt any urgent information she needed to know about. It was just that as she looked at the heavy rain, memories of lotus flowers and Qu Zhian came rushing back. She felt like visiting, so she did. No particular reason was needed. CH 40 Abandoned Empress 15 The rain continued to pour until evening, showing no sign of stopping. The sky outside turned as dark as spilled ink, obscuring everything from view. With nothing much to do, Xin Lan decided to go to bed early. Qu Zhian lit a lamp in the room and covered it with a lampshade. Perhaps it was autumn, so the downpour only brought a chilling sensation rather than a sense of heaviness. Xin Lan lay in bed, watching Qu Zhian engrossed in her book. Qu Zhian was reading attentively, and the flickering candlelight cast gentle shadows on her face, making her appear particularly tender. Yan Yan, what are you reading? A collection of poems. Oh, Xin Lan rolled over and turned towards Qu Zhians direction, Why dont you read them to me? Sure. The faded red flowers and green apricots remain. When the swallows fly, they encircle the houses by the green waters. The willow branches gently sway, but fewer remain. Where in the world is there no fragrant grass? Within the wall, a swing; outside the wall, a path. Passersby outside the wall, a beauty inside laughs. The laughter gradually fades, the sound grows quiet. Passionate, yet vexed by indifference. Qu Zhian recited each word and phrase, and as she reached the last sentence, a sense of inexplicable melancholy filled her. She looked at Xin Lan, lying in bed, awaiting her response. Its a beautiful poem. Another day, you can read it to Qingqing. Xin Lan fell silent for a moment before answering. Qu Zhian knew who Qingqing referred to. After all, when Xin Lan didnt have enough money to redeem Qingqing, she borrowed from Qu Zhian. Qingqing had gone to help Xin Lan, and Qu Zhian was aware of that. Is it telling her that there is fragrant grass wherever she goes? Qu Zhian chuckled, not knowing whether Qingqing had moved on from the physicians clinic. But based on Xin Lans words, it seemed she was still on her own. No, I want to tell her that despite her deep affection, she is tormented by indifference. She loves that physician, but he sees her only as a passerby. A few days ago, he encountered Qingqing while accompanied by his family, and they politely greeted each other. What I fear the most is not the avoidance when we meet again, but the calmness that makes it seem like it was always just one persons sentimental imagination. In the lyrics of Butterflies in Love with Flowers, how would the beauty inside the door know that there is a passerby outside? Its nothing more than self-mockery born out of ones own wishful thinking. Of course, this is just Xin Lans own interpretation. With her eyes closed, she let Qu Zhian continue reading. Throughout history, deep affections often result in lingering regrets, and sweet dreams are the easiest to awaken from. How can plucking a flower bring liberation? Pitifully, the drifting catkins scatter without a trace. The fragrant nest suddenly becomes a pair of mandarin ducks abode, while new verses are inscribed on the emerald screen. Despite not being separated, the heart is already broken, and tears stain the old garments green. As Qu Zhian finished reciting this poem, even she furrowed her brow. The opening line of this poem is quite good, but the rest seems hasty. Xin Lan chuckled. She had wanted to ask why the collection of poems consisted mostly of such sorrowful verses, but then she realized there was no point in asking. Deep affections often result in lingering regrets, and sweet dreams are the easiest to awaken from. Well then, lets continue sleeping and dream a better dream. Xin Lan playfully recited the first two lines. She turned over, lying flat on her body, let out a sigh, and lazily uttered, That makes sense. Indeed. Qu Zhian also laughed along, feeling a bit melancholic initially. However, after Xin Lans remark, the melancholy seemed to dissipate. Indeed, dreams are easily disrupted, so lets dream another one. Qu Zhian continued reciting the poem, her voice gentle, and the words of the poem were also tender. Xin Lan listened, gradually drifting off to sleep without even realizing it. Seeing Xin Lan sound asleep, Qu Zhian fell silent. Initially, she didnt feel particularly sleepy, but seeing Xin Lan peacefully immersed in her dreams on the bed, she couldnt help but feel a hint of drowsiness, longing to find a cozy slumber within the embrace of the covers. The next day, the weather cleared up, but various parts of the estate remained damp, with puddles forming on the roads. Xin Lan didnt return to the palace but had breakfast at Qu Zhians residence. Considering Qu Zhians current status as a high-ranking official, one would expect the estate to be filled with numerous servants. However, Qu Zhian didnt like having too many people around, and her identity couldnt be exposed. So, she only invited a few trusted servants to maintain the functioning of the estate, who happened to be from her own family and knew exactly what to say and what not to say. Originally, Qu Zhian didnt intend to let her family know what she was doing. However, when the homing pigeons sent inquiries about her well-being and expressed their intention to visit, she found herself short on funds. When she went to the bank to withdraw money, news reached her parents and elder brother, prompting them to come and pay their respects. Upon learning that their daughter had disguised herself as a man and become a high-ranking official, Qu Zhians mother was almost breathless with shock. After all, if this were to be discovered, it would be a capital offense. Qu Zhians father, on the other hand, wasnt particularly worried. Instead, he patted Qu Zhian on the shoulder, praising her for her achievements. Because he had always desired to hold an official position, but lacked the aptitude for scholarly pursuits himself, and his son also showed no interest in studying, having a daughter who brought honor to the family and fulfilled his aspirations delighted him. He left a substantial sum of money for Qu Zhian to use as needed and told her to go to the bank if it wasnt enough. After leaving a few household servants behind, he departed with his family. After finishing breakfast and lunch, Xin Lan finally returned to the palace in the afternoon. Upon her return, Si Tong approached her with a mysterious air and shared some news. Is that so? Absolutely! It was confirmed by one of the servants in the Noble Consorts palace. Its truly amusing to hear, Si Tong replied, trying to suppress her laughter. Xin Lan also found it quite amusing. She had instructed Zero Nine to keep an eye on the ministers situation the previous night, so she didnt need to worry about the Emperor and could focus on the incident. Little did she expect such a hilarious turn of events to unfold overnight. The Noble Consort had fallen from grace, all due to her own actions. She was now under house arrest in the Chaolian Palace, awaiting the Emperors judgment. Compared to others, she was truly foolishly adorable, and unintentionally, she had actually done Xin Lan a favor. She had grown insecure when a group of young maidens entered the palace. Although she was still young herself, not even twenty years old, she couldnt compete with those inexperienced girls who were fifteen or sixteen. The Emperor rarely visited her palace, as he preferred spending nights with the new concubines or Concubine Xi. This drove her to despair. She couldnt understand why Concubine Xi was able to keep the Emperors affections, so she sent her maidservants to find out. Surprisingly, they did find out. It turned out that Concubine Xi had secretly used a certain substance. The Noble Consort was not one to back down, and she was easily agitated. Upon hearing about this method, she immediately had someone obtain the substance. The Emperor used to visit her palace only once or twice a month, which was a stark contrast to before. Wanting to keep him, the Noble Consort gritted her teeth and administered a large dose. The Emperor nearly lost his life because of it. This is not a descriptive sentence but rather a statement of fact. The Emperors condition deteriorated to the point where he was rolling his eyes, unable to cope. The Noble Consort immediately panicked and called for the Imperial Physician. The Emperor already had some shadows in his health, and this incident exacerbated his condition. It would likely take significant effort to recover him. Enraged, the Emperor immediately left and placed the Noble Consort under house arrest, awaiting his judgment. This was a grave offense, and it truly brought shame. The Emperor still had no heir, and there were numerous women vying for favor. Hearing about the severity of the Emperors injury, they were furious. They joined forces in cursing the Noble Consort. Some who had recently gained favor lost it instantly and were left wiping away tears in their own palaces. After listening to Si Tongs vivid and colorful description, Xin Lan couldnt help but burst into laughter, tears of amusement streaming down her face. It seemed that the Emperor was not entirely useless after all. At least, during such times, he could provide some comedic material for her. Since the incident was not very discreet, it didnt take long for everyone to learn that the Emperor had suffered from the Noble Consorts tiger and wolf medicine, causing kidney deficiency. They even had to call for the Imperial Physician to attend to him. This not only affected a mans pride but also the Emperors reputation. No one dared to mention the matter in front of the Emperor or express any joyous emotions. After all, the Emperor still maintained a stern expression, and no one dared to laugh openly. However, what people thought in their hearts was beyond the Emperors control. Wu Yanqing was furious upon hearing about the incident. He was already worried about the matter of the heir, and now the women in the harem were causing even more trouble. He believed that Qu Zhian must have known about it. During the morning court and in the study, he felt hesitant to look at Qu Zhian, afraid of encountering her mocking gaze. However, he did catch Qu Zhians gaze, which held not mockery but rather comfort, like a gentle breeze that soothed Wu Yanqings wounded heart. Moreover, Qu Zhian had always shown utmost respect towards him, compensating for the loss of his self-esteem. Wu Yanqing was deeply moved. He planned to wait until the dust settled, consolidate his power, and then marry Qu Zhian as his Empress, making her the most esteemed woman in the world. Qu Zhian couldnt help but laugh at him. When she heard the news, her cheeks hurt from smiling so much. She rubbed them for a while and even had the kitchen maid prepare a delicious meal to celebrate. Deep inside, she praised the Noble Consort for doing something that brought joy. But she still had to maintain her appearance. In front of Wu Yanqing, Qu Zhian played the role of a loyal and supportive minister, always standing by his side, obediently following his orders. However, as soon as she left the palace, her true face emerged. Her strategy had yielded remarkable results. Wu Yanqing had been completely deceived by her. In fact, many powers were under Qu Zhians control, rather than Wu Yanqings. Nevertheless, Wu Yanqing believed that the power was in his hands just as much as it was in Qu Zhians. He even contemplated bestowing higher ranks and titles upon her. Within the court, the conflict between Qu Zhian and the Prime Minister had reached a boiling point. Wu Yanqing informed Qu Zhian that he was planning an assassination plot. Of course, the assassination would be staged, but the framing would be real. While Qu Zhian praised the Emperors wisdom to his face, she immediately informed Xin Lan about the plan. Of course, the framing was never intended to implicate Xin Lan but rather the Prime Minister. Xin Lan had been waiting for the Emperor to come up with a final justification. She thought he would frame the Prime Minister for something like corruption or abuse of power. However, it turned out differently. Nonetheless, it was the most convenient method. They would arrange for someone to assassinate Xin Lan, and she would pretend to be injured. They would then capture the supposed assassin and, under interrogation, extract a confession that the person was sent by the Prime Minister. With this evidence, they could throw the Prime Minister into the dungeon, conduct further investigations for a week or two, and secure the Prime Ministers downfall. Yan Yan, tell me, if my father is removed from his position, who do you think will become the new Prime Minister? Qu Zhian pointed at herself, and Xin Lan clapped her hands, laughing. Besides you, who else could it be? Im afraid Wu Yanqing doesnt understand. Hes willingly handed me an opportunity on a silver platter. Xin Lan laughed heartily. If Wu Yanqing wanted a staged assassination, she would turn it into a real one. Regardless, the Prime Minister was destined to be removed from his position. The distinction between a real or staged assassination didnt matter much to the outside world, but it carried significant weight for Wu Yanqing. Xin Lan clenched her fists, unable to contain her excitement. She couldnt wait to showcase her skills during the autumn hunt. When Wu Yanqing discovered her genuine injuries, his expression would be truly priceless. She would make him realize that what he was about to lose was far more than he anticipated. The author has something to say: At three in the morning, rua! By the way, there wont be an update tomorrow morning at nine oclock. Instead, there will be a long post at seven in the afternoon. Sending you all my love! [Knocking on the blackboard] Dont let me catch any of you not paying attention to the blackboard and breaking our agreement to update! CH 41 Ruling over the Court Arc Abandoned Empress 16 On the day of the autumn hunt, the weather was clear and pleasant, making it a rare and comfortable day. The Emperor wore equestrian attire, with a smile on his face that had been rare in recent days. The ministers who were skilled in horseback archery also changed into their equestrian gear, while the other ministers stood aside, cheering and encouraging. This time, Wu Yanqing went for the autumn hunt without bringing any concubines, not even Concubine Xi, who had previously been considered intimate. As an Emperor, Wu Yanqing repeatedly stumbled because of women, clearly not a ruler obsessed with beauty, yet he kept encountering troubles. When he thought about the issue of heir, Wu Yanqing became irritable. He knew he had to visit those people, but just thinking about the last time when he had no provisions left and was forced to continue, he felt a pain in his lower body. He clenched his fist, dispelling the jumble of thoughts in his mind. When he thought about his arrangements for today and the scenes he would see later, he felt a sense of pleasure in his heart. He endured hardships for nearly four years and finally was about to remove the Xin family from his presence. He didnt know if it was the good fortune accumulated from his past life that allowed him to meet such a wonderful person like Qu Zhian in this lifetime. Not only was she beautiful, but she was also exceptionally intelligent. Her abilities in the court were top-notch, as she quickly forced the Prime Minister to retreat step by step. Xin Lan, hiding in the shadows, watched the Emperors satisfied expression and a smile curved on her lips. In fact, if it werent for the cooperation of the Prime Minister, Qu Zhians actions might not have progressed so quickly. From the current perspective, it seemed like a matter of two or three months. If the Prime Minister hadnt yielded, it would have taken one or two years to completely eradicate the Xin family. Wu Yanqing was truly defenseless. Instead of pondering why the Prime Ministers power was easily dismantled, he simply believed that Qu Zhian was formidable, and it was only natural for the Prime Minister to meet such an end. The Prime Minister, who had been informed by Xin Lan, already knew that there would be a setup today. However, he pretended to know nothing, waiting to be framed, standing below and speaking words of praise to the Emperor. The Emperor looked at the Prime Minister and emitted a cold sneer in his heart. The Prime Minister looked at the Emperor, eagerly anticipating the spectacle. Xin Lan, dressed in assassins black attire with a black cloth covering her face, stood high up in a tree, holding a bow and arrow in her hand. She only brought two arrows, but two arrows were enough. One arrow could also be sufficient, but Xin Lan wouldnt give him an arrow through the heart. According to her plan, Wu Yanqing would shoot the prey while a group of guards and eunuchs followed behind to retrieve them. However, as Wu Yanqing went deeper into the forest, some of the people behind couldnt keep up, and only a few were chasing from behind. Wu Yanqing whistled, and dozens of black-clad individuals dashed out from the woods. Protect the Emperor! The leader of the Imperial Guards drew his sword from his waist and shouted. Wu Yanqing pretended to be overwhelmed, intentionally allowing his arm to be slightly injured. The assassins then pretended to be stabbed by him and rolled aside. While Wu Yanqing appeared flustered, there was a hint of a smile at the corner of his mouth. Xin Lan squinted her eyes, raised her bow and arrow, aiming at her target. Amidst the chaos, Wu Yanqing heard a sound breaking through the air. He abruptly turned around and saw an arrow coming towards him. Before he could react, the arrow pierced into his thigh. Wu Yanqing was filled with shock and anger. These were definitely not the people he had arranged. However, before he could react, the second arrow swiftly followed, accurately piercing his other leg. Send someone to pursue them! Wu Yanqing endured the pain and urgently ordered his men to chase after the assailants. The approaching individuals rushed towards the direction of the arrows, while others lifted the injured Emperor and hurriedly sought the Imperial Physician. Xin Lan accomplished her goal and retreated, disappearing into the woods with her bow. There was no way those people could catch up with her. Zero Nine: Host, you were amazing just now. I took a look, and both sides are still symmetrical! In a concealed location, Xin Lan changed out of her black attire and held her outer robe in her hands. She headed towards the Jade Moon Palace. Chun Yue and Si Tong were bored in the courtyard, embroidering flowers. Since their master started going out frequently and seemed busy, they didnt have much to do. They spent their days talking to each other, sometimes with Si Tong reading a book to Chun Yue. Si Tong knew some characters that Chun Yue didnt recognize. Other times, Chun Yue taught Si Tong how to embroider, passing the time in this manner. The two of them vaguely knew that something was about to happen, but they couldnt pinpoint the specifics. After Xin Lan returned, she handed the rolled-up clothes to Chun Yue and asked her to fold and put them back in the wardrobe. Then, all they could do was wait. Xin Lan didnt leave the palace but waited there for news. There were certain secretive pieces of information that the palace servants wouldnt be able to uncover. Xin Lan directly instructed Zero Nine to live-stream and relay the information. At this moment, the Emperor was still being treated for his injured leg at the autumn hunting grounds. The situation was chaotic due to the assassination attempt on the Emperor. The Prime Minister had no idea that Xin Lan would actually take action. When he heard that the Emperor was seriously injured, he felt a shock and exchanged a glance with Qu Zhian from a distance. Qu Zhian gave him a shallow smile, and the Prime Minister breathed a sigh of relief. As long as everything was under control, the Prime Minister thought, the Emperors injury must have a significant connection with Qu Zhian or, more specifically, with Xin Lan behind her. The Prime Minister couldnt help but sigh when he thought of his daughter, who had become a stranger to him. She used to be different, and he didnt know when she had changed. But perhaps it was for the better. If she hadnt changed, the situation probably wouldnt be like this now. Qu Zhian entered the tent and looked at the pale-faced Wu Yanqing. The Imperial Physician below was sweating profusely as he prepared to remove the arrows. Wu Yanqing was in so much pain that he was almost on the verge of passing out, but he continued to endure. He met Qu Zhians calm gaze, feeling a sense of unease in his heart without knowing why. But in the next moment, he noticed the concern in Qu Zhians expression. However, that feeling of unease still lingered in his heart, making him feel restless. As the arrow was removed, blood began to flow, and the physician quickly sprinkled medicinal powder and wrapped it with a layer of gauze. Qu Zhian stood there, observing his pitiful state, a hint of a subtle smile playing on her lips. It was almost time. Once she took her place beside the Prime Minister, she could release Xin Lan to do what she desired. The Emperor was carried back to the palace, while the few guards were taken to the Ministry of Justice for interrogation. After several days of harsh torture, the Chief Minister of the Ministry of Justice knelt before the officials and openly stated that the assassin still hadnt revealed the truth. However, the Deputy Chief Minister of the Ministry of Justice stood up and confronted him, claiming that the assassin had already confessed. Yet, the Chief Minister believed that the assassin still hadnt spoken the truth and insisted on further torture. Filled with anger, the Emperor demanded that the Deputy Chief Minister reveal the person behind the assassins confession. When the words Prime Minister escaped the Deputy Chief Ministers lips, it caused a commotion among the courtiers. With a grim expression, the Emperor, looking at his immobile legs, sent the Prime Minister back to the dungeon once again. This time, no one dared to plead for the Prime Ministers mercy. Wu Yanqing sat in his study, touching his legs, still harboring deep resentment. Who was it that sent someone to harm his legs? That question remained in his mind. The assassins marksmanship was superb. If their intention was to assassinate him, they could have easily taken his life instead of deliberately shooting through his legs. Why did it happen this way? Wu Yanqing couldnt figure it out, and the investigators had no leads. The matter had to be left unresolved. However, these things couldnt dampen Wu Yanqings good mood because everything was going according to his plan. It was going extremely smoothly, yet Wu Yanqing couldnt shake off the feeling of unease. That sense of unease came from an unknown source, reminding him that something was amiss. Wu Yanqing meticulously reviewed the situation but couldnt find anything amiss. He thought that he might be overthinking things. The downfall of the Xin family this time was significant, with the Prime Minister already imprisoned in the dungeon. To avoid suspicion, the Chief Minister of the Ministry of Justice had been temporarily suspended from duty and others were rejoicing, except for the members of the Xin family. Upon hearing the news, Xin Long was in a state of panic in the palace. She thought that after being in the palace for so long, she should have learned to remain calm. However, with the current grave situation, which affected the fate of the Xin family, she couldnt calm down at all. She wanted to find her aunt, but she was under house arrest. She could only pace anxiously in the Changqiu Palace, feeling like an ant on a hot pan. Wu Yanqing was aware of Xin Longs reaction, which brought him some satisfaction. The Xin family was in a state of panic, and the more frantic they became, the happier he felt. It was at this moment that Wu Yanqing remembered a member of the Xin family whom he had long forgotten. Since that person had been demoted, he had only seen her once, and that encounter had left him with unfavorable thoughts. Now, upon reflection, there was no need to care about those things. After all, the Xin family was no more, and she had no bright future ahead of her. Out of consideration for their past marriage, he would let her stay in the Cold Palace for the rest of her life. Things were progressing methodically. When the weather turned colder, the verdict for the Prime Minister came down. Although it couldnt prove that he was the one who ordered the assassination of the Emperor, there were still suspicions. The Prime Minister was dismissed, and the Chief Minister of the Ministry of Justice and other members of the Xin family were not spared either. Demotions and dismissals were handed out accordingly. On the day the Prime Minister was released from prison, the Emperor visited him. The Prime Minister didnt fare well in prison. He had become thin and frail. As he walked out of the dungeon, dressed in plain white garments, he looked like an ordinary old man. Did you ever consider this day when you ascended to power? Wu Yanqing approached, whispering quietly beside him. Although he was sitting in a wheelchair, his presence remained undiminished. The Emperors legs were not completely paralyzed; they were temporarily unable to function properly. Xin Shengs expression remained calm as he bowed to the Emperor. From the day Your Majesty ascended to the throne, I have anticipated this day. Now, there is nothing more to say. I wish Your Majesty a prosperous reign, year after year. Xin Sheng bowed slightly and, after saying those words, walked away. Wu Yanqing frowned as he watched Xin Sheng depart. The old mans words brought back that sense of unease within him. However, as he looked at the courtiers in the court, his unease dissipated. The once towering tree that had overshadowed him had finally fallen before him. With the former Prime Minister stepping down, this position couldnt remain vacant. As expected by everyone, Qu Zhian assumed the role swiftly, garnering great attention and admiration. Qu Zhian dealt with another high-ranking official who came to establish connections, and the warehouse in her residence was filled with gifts. It seems like I arrived at an inconvenient time. The esteemed Prime Minister is quite busy. A figure appeared in the courtyard, and it was none other than Xin Lan, who didnt enter through the main gate. Ah Lan, always making fun of me. Come, have a seat. Dealing with people can be exhausting. Indeed, her residence was bustling today, and Qu Zhian was visibly tired from handling everything. Take a break. There shouldnt be many people around at this time. Xin Lan said as she sat beside Qu Zhian. A servant immediately brought a cup of tea. How is it in the palace? When do you plan to take action? Ive calculated it, and how about tonight? Good. The two of them exchanged a smile, understanding each other without the need for words. Today was the middle of the month, and the moon was exceptionally round in the evening. Wu Yanqing lay in bed when he suddenly felt thirsty. He called out for Mei An a few times, but there was no response. He furrowed his brow, becoming impatient, and called out two more times. A gust of wind blew in, causing his expression to change. Mei An usually stood guard at the entrance. Even if it wasnt his turn to keep watch, there would be other eunuchs present. However, now the door was wide open, and there was no response. Something was definitely amiss. Wu Yanqing could feel his heart pounding with anxiety. With his legs unable to move freely, he tightly gripped the brocade quilt. A faint sound of footsteps reached his ears, causing his heart to skip a beat. Whos there? Whos there! He called out, but received no response. The candles in the hall were still lit, but they provided him with no sense of security. A figure gradually emerged from the darkness, and Wu Yanqing widened his eyes as he saw that face. Xin Lan? How could it be you? How dare you escape from the Cold Palace without permission! He sternly rebuked, trying his best to hide his unease. Xin Lan took slow steps toward him, looking him up and down, her gaze piercing as if she could see through him. After scrutinizing him, she let out a disdainful sneer. What are you laughing at? Wu Yanqing became infuriated and embarrassed. You truly are pitiful, Your Majesty. You have lost all your former glory. Back then, you were so mighty when you humiliated others in the palace. You said I couldnt bear children, but can you? Do you have any heirs now? Moreover, you know perfectly well why I couldnt conceive. Xin Lan didnt bother hiding her disgust, deliberately adopting a scornful expression that mirrored Wu Yanqings previous demeanor. How should I know the reason for your infertility? Guards, take this person away! Upon hearing Xin Lans words, Wu Yanqing felt his heart skip a beat. The panic of being exposed was evident, but he forcefully feigned composure, loudly calling for the guards. Footsteps could be heard approaching from outside, and a glimmer of hope sparked in Wu Yanqings heart. When he saw that it was Qu Zhian, his expression of joy intensified. However, in the next moment, the smile froze on his face. Qu Zhian shouldnt have appeared here at this time. You all conspired to harm me! Your Majesty, thats quite amusing. Who harmed whom? Do you think Im unaware of all the things youve done? Shall I remind you of how you drugged me at that banquet and rendered me unconscious? Wu Yanqing was stunned, staring wide-eyed at the two women before him. It turns out you knew These words were not directed at Xin Lan, but at Qu Zhian. Yes, I knew all along. I knew that Your Majesty is a hypocritical and despicable pseudo-gentleman, a true villain. You may pretend to be a noble figure, but in my eyes, youre nothing but a stinking rat. Do you realize how ridiculous you appear to me? Qu Zhians face was filled with cold sarcasm as she stood by Xin Lans side. How dare you speak to Us like this! Well, Qu Zhian, it seems that your previous demeanor was all a deception. We have truly raised a white-eyed wolf. Your power was granted by Us. If it werent for the slight favor We had toward you, We would have exposed your true identity as a woman and executed you on the day of the imperial examination. Yet here you are, daring to be so insolent before Us! Wu Yanqings face turned red, his neck bulged, and his trembling hand almost shouted in anger. Before Qu Zhian could speak, she heard the sound of Xin Lan clapping her hands beside her. Your Majesty, this investigation is truly marvelous. But have you ever considered that if I hadnt married you, the Fifth Prince, and if you hadnt relied on our Xin family, do you think you could have triumphed over your brothers and ascended to your current position? To think that you had the wickedness to drug me when I was a newlywed. Now, its time for you to pay for all of this. Xin Lan didnt particularly want to say these lines, feeling somewhat weak, but it was through these words that she could make Wu Yanqing understand the reality. Hong Huan! Dong Huaixi! Mei An! As the Emperor shouted those names, his heart grew colder and colder. No one responded, and as he looked at the faces of Xin Lan and Qu Zhian in front of him, the echoes of his own shouts felt like a slap, harshly striking his own face, leaving a burning sensation. Why have you stopped calling? Keep calling, lets see if anyone will come to save you. Xin Lan calmly remarked. She intentionally changed her voice, and indeed, she witnessed a drastic change in Wu Yanqings complexion. That day, it was you! Xin Lan deliberately used the eerie voice of the old man, reminding Wu Yanqing of that terrifying and unforgettable night. Yes, it was me. And it was also me who injured your legs. Xin Lan said gleefully, observing Wu Yanqings increasingly ashen face. Qu Zhian didnt know exactly what had happened, but she vaguely sensed that it must be Xin Lans revenge. Youre not Xin Lan, who are you! Wu Yanqings mind raced quickly. He may not know others well, but he had a thorough understanding of Xin Lan. When did Xin Lan possess such peculiar martial arts skills, let alone the audacity to commit such acts? I am indeed Xin Lan, without a doubt. Xin Lan replied calmly, crossing her arms. What do you plan to do? With the situation at hand, Wu Yanqing realized that neither shouting nor pleading would be of any use. He quickly regained his composure. His legs were immobile, and even if they could move, he doubted he could overpower Xin Lan. The fact that they dared to come so openly and confidently indicated that they had already gained control over the palace. What do we plan to do? Youll find out soon enough. Xin Lan approached him and rendered him unconscious. Proceed with the plan. Xin Lan said to Qu Zhian, who was beside her, as they looked at the unconscious figure on the bed. The next day, the Emperor was too ill to attend the morning court session. Doctors from the Imperial Medical Bureau came and went, sighing with disappointment as they left the palace. For several consecutive days, the Emperor remained gravely ill and unable to participate in court affairs. In his absence, a royal decree was issued by the trusted eunuch Mei An, appointing the former Left Chancellor as the temporary regent. No one in the court doubted this decision, as the Left Chancellor had always been favored by the Emperor. With the Emperors severe illness, the concubines from various palaces were also unable to visit him. Though they felt dissatisfied, there was nothing they could do but accept the situation. Concubine Xi, rarely showing signs of anxiety, became increasingly worried in the palace. Her foster brother served in the Imperial Medical Bureau, so she sought him out for information, but he could only provide grim updates on the Emperors condition. Concubine Xi had worked hard to see the downfall of Xin Lan, the deposed Empress, and Concubine Man, one after another. Now, with the Emperor facing troubles, her biggest support was at stake. If the Emperor were to fall, she would surely suffer the consequences. However, no matter how hard she tried to inquire about the situation, all she could gather was news of the Emperors grave illness. Mei An, the dutiful eunuch, stood guard at the door, preventing anyone from entering. In reality, there was no seriously ill Emperor in the hall; it was merely a decoy. However, Mei An knew what needed to be done to ensure his own safety. While Qu Zhian was busy handling memorials, Xin Lan remained in the palace, observing the pitiful state of Wu Yanqing before her. Wu Yanqing was chained in a room, with meals delivered to him daily. However, no utensils were provided, forcing him to eat with his bare hands. Initially, Wu Yanqing reacted angrily, smashing the bowls and overturning the food. But after days of enduring hunger, he finally reached his breaking point. Xin Lan pushed open the door and looked mockingly at the disheveled person. Wu Yanqings eyes were somewhat dull, having been deprived of light for several days. When he saw Xin Lan entering, he squinted his eyes. I thought you had some backbone, but it seems youre nothing special. Wu Yanqing recognized the person and rushed towards her, not to attack, but to plead, with a flattering smile on his face. Laner, I know I was wrong. It was all my fault. I should have never treated you the way I did. Please let me out, and Ill make you Empress again. We can live like we used to in the palace, enjoying harmonious days together. What do you say? Of course not. Xin Lan dragged out her tone, watching as the expression in Wu Yanqings eyes turned from dullness to disgust, and she let out a light laugh. Wu Yanqing, oh Wu Yanqing, why do you still think Im easily deceived like in the past? Xin Lan found him quite amusing; his self-perception was too good. Wu Yanqing shrunk back and remained silent. Xin Lan looked at him pretending to be a turtle and called the person outside the door. Hong Huan?! Wu Yanqing saw his personal guard standing at the door and clenched his fists. Do you still remember what you planned to do to me that day? It was you who knocked me unconscious, right? Oh, and there was another time, that night. I believe you havent forgotten. What do you want? Wu Yanqing looked at the expression on Xin Lans face and couldnt help but shrink back. Whatever you had in mind, I had the same thoughts. I just might have taken it a step further, more thoroughly than you did. Xin Lan shook the bell in her hand, and Hong Huans gaze became vacant. I buried a silver needle in his waist. I wonder if it will have any impact on that aspect. You can enjoy him for now. If he fails to satisfy you, I can always find someone else. Xin Lan calmly finished speaking, turned around, and walked out. Hong Huan, who was under her control, lunged towards his former master. Xin Lan closed the door, cutting off Wu Yanqings desperate cries. She brushed off the dust from her skirt. If she had known it would come to this, why did she do it in the first place? On the following day, around noon, Xin Lan finally appeared in the room. The strong scent of musk mixed with the smell of blood, creating a nauseating odor. Xin Lan covered her nose, shook the bell, and had Hong Huan stand aside. Wu Yanqings gaze had completely become vacant. His body was marked with the remnants of violence, and he appeared lifeless, like someone on the brink of death. Its really pitiful. Xin Lan expressed her sympathy half-heartedly. Wu Yanqing seemed as if he hadnt even noticed her presence, still staring into empty space. Whats the matter? Cant handle it like this? Xin Lan observed Wu Yanqing, surprised by his poor mental resilience. Only a few days of hunger and a small retaliation, and yet he ended up like this? And all on his own, not even a group of people. How could he be in such a state? Xin Lan couldnt find any interest in dealing with him in his current condition. One day, sooner or later Wu Yanqing suddenly stared at Xin Lan, his eyes filled with resentment like an evil spirit. He muttered these words before losing consciousness. That day will never come. Xin Lan didnt even want to personally deal with someone like Wu Yanqing, so she had him transported out of the palace and sent to a specialized facility. In that place, even those with strong wills would be gradually worn down, let alone someone like Wu Yanqing who lacked backbone from the start. While Xin Lan was taking action, Qu Zhian was also hastening her steps. The Emperors condition deteriorated over the course of half a month until he couldnt hold on any longer. Mei An presented the Imperial Edict and read out the Emperors final wishes. The Emperor abdicated the throne in favor of the child of one of the three princes from before. He disbanded the harem but made an exception for Concubine Xi, whom he wanted to accompany him. No matter how incredulous or indignant Concubine Xi was, her actions were futile. She was sent to guard the Imperial Mausoleum, where she would spend the rest of her life in seclusion. The young boy, the child of the three princes, was around fifteen or sixteen years old and had a composed demeanor. He was specially chosen by Qu Zhian and Xin Lan. With the new Emperor ascending the throne, a general amnesty was declared, and the harem of the former Emperor was disbanded. The former Empress Consort, who was now the deposed Empress, was honored as the Empress Dowager. These actions sparked widespread discussions among the people of the previous dynasty. The author has something to say: I havent finished explaining yet. Tomorrow morning at nine oclock, well continue with the detailed updates. Dont miss it, mwah! Little Emperor: Mother! Sister Lan: Yes. Commander: What about me? Little Emperor: Left Left Prime Minister? Commander: Understood. The thrilling story of the Empress Dowager and the Left Prime Minister that must be told. Exciting! CH 42.1 Great Demon King 01 The ministers wonder if the new Emperors ascension indicates a lack of understanding of the current situation within the court. The late Emperor worked hard to overthrow the Xin family, but now the new Emperor has quickly reinstated the deposed Empress, who is the legitimate daughter of the Xin family and was previously the Empress. Regarding the cause of the late Emperors death, there are actually many doubts among people. However, since its already a done deal and the new Emperor has ascended the throne, theres no point in dwelling on these matters. Whether the late Emperor died of natural causes or for some other reason, it doesnt matter anymore. Those who find the new Emperors intentions unreasonable have sought out the Prime Minister, Qu Zhian Daren. After all, Qu Daren was one of the key figures in toppling the Xin family. Previously, he and the Xin family were like water and fire. Now, it seems like the new Emperor wants to support the Xin family once again to restrain the Prime Minister. Isnt this the prelude to history repeating itself? Upon hearing their words, Qu Zhian glanced at them indifferently, revealing a smile that was neither friendly nor mocking. Without saying a word, he turned and walked away. Rather than appearing angry, his demeanor seemed happy, leaving everyone puzzled. The Prime Minister showed no reaction, so everyone stopped worrying. After all, they werent in the spotlight. Not long after the new Emperor ascended the throne, he restored the position of the Minister of Justice and promoted two others, but there were no other actions taken. The other ministers were greatly surprised and thought that the former Prime Minister might return, especially since the deposed Empress was still present. However, it didnt happen. The Xin family also didnt rise to power as they did before; they maintained a neutral stance. Xin Lan became the Empress dowager and moved out of the Jade Moon Palace. For Xin Lan, it didnt make much difference where she lived. When the imperial decree arrived, there was no joy on her face; she simply turned to instruct Chun Yue to pack their belongings. Chun Yue and Si Yong were extremely excited, especially Si Yong. She knew she had made the right choice and hadnt followed the wrong person. Now, from being the lowest-ranked palace maid, she had instantly become the stewardess by the Empress dowagers side. Other palace maids and eunuchs had to address her as Aunt Si Tong, let alone mentioning her authority. However, Xin Lan thought that being the Empress dowager had one advantage: she could sleep on a more comfortable and spacious bed, which would improve the quality of her sleep. She was probably the youngest Empress dowager in history, not even twenty years old, yet she had ascended to this position. At this moment, Xin Lan was receiving her nominal eldest brother, who happened to be the father of Xin Long, in her own palace. Xin Longs father was Lord Xin, the Minister of Justice. Lord Xin looked at the dignified Xin Lan, and the words Third Sister he intended to call out got stuck in his throat. Empress Dowager. He respectfully addressed her. This third sister of his had gone through a series of ups and downs in her life. She started as a Princess, then became the Empress, followed by being deposed, and now she was the Empress dowager. It wouldnt be wrong to say that her life had been full of dramatic twists and turns. The two of them chatted for a while before Lord Xin finally broached the main topic. Father was wrongly accused. How could he possibly have hired an assassin to assassinate the late Emperor? Before he could finish his sentence, Xin Lans actions silenced him. Xin Lan pressed her index finger against her lips and only lowered it when Lord Xin had no words left. Have you ever heard of the saying As the emperor, so are the ministers? Lord Xin paused, understanding the implication behind Xin Lans words. Father is getting old. Its time for him to live out his remaining years in peace. Its best not to trouble him with these matters. He has toiled for most of his life and deserves rest. Xin Lan took a sip of tea and gestured to indicate the end of the meeting. Lord Xin sighed, rose from his seat, and took his leave. Xin Lan had no grudges against the Xin family. The decision to abandon the original owner of her body was a necessary move by the Xin family, not an intentional act. Xin Lans actions were not aimed at the Xin family either. If they were, she wouldnt have allowed the young Emperor to reinstate Lord Xins official position in her name. However, she wanted to keep a few loyal and capable individuals who could serve the young Emperor faithfully. After seeing off Lord Xin, Xin Lan had lunch together with the young Emperor, who had come to her palace. The young Emperor had been well-educated, with excellent manners and knowledge. He lacked the impetuousness often found in young people and was remarkably attentive and composed. When Xin Lan saw him, she knew that the Third Prince, who had lost the power struggle, hadnt given up. Otherwise, he wouldnt have raised his son so well. Qu Zhian had tested him with some questions, and he had answered them all correctly. At the time, Qu Zhian had jokingly told Xin Lan that the child had been raised according to the standards of a Crown Prince. Having such a child put Xin Lans mind at ease. She didnt come here to be an Empress or rule from behind the scenes. She didnt need any puppet strings. If she were to stay and educate a child until they became a responsible adult, she knew it would be tiring and troublesome. After finishing lunch with the young Emperor and discussing some court matters with him, she informed him about who could be trusted and who was cunning. Upon hearing this, the young Emperor couldnt help but make a playful remark. Mother Empress, this sounds like instructions for dealing with afterlife affairs. Xin Lan remained silent, just smiling at him. Suddenly, the young Emperor fell silent, and both of them remained quiet in the courtyard. Upon waking up from a nap, Xin Lan once again discovered the challenges of being an Empress dowager. There were too many people around, making it impossible for Xin Lan to freely enter and leave the palace during the day. As a result, she could only meet with Qu Zhian at night and had to return before dawn. Therefore, their meetings were brief, and she would leave soon after. Qu Zhian felt quite helpless about this situation, but there was nothing she could do. Four or five days after Wu Yanqing was thrown into that place, Xin Lan went to see him. She was dressed in a sky-blue embroidered cotton dress with gold thread, draped in a sable fur, exuding an air of elegance and nobility that seemed out of place in that setting. Wu Yanqing had become thin from torture, covered in scars and marks of past events. His eyes were devoid of any emotion, and when he saw Xin Lan, he remained silent. Whats the matter? Dont you have anything to say to me? Wu Yanqing moved his lips but remained silent. Anyone who saw his current state would find it hard to believe that he was once a spirited Emperor. How does it feel to fall from the clouds into the mud? Go ahead and kill me. Wu Yanqing rasped. Xin Lan felt bored, looking at his lifeless face, and let out a scoff. I announced your death to the outside world. I even sent your beloved Concubine Xi to guard your tomb. Are you satisfied? Wu Yanqing indeed showed a reaction, but it wasnt because of Concubine Xi. It was because of the news of his own death. The new Emperor is your third brothers son. Wu Yanqings body trembled, looking at Xin Lan in disbelief. You hate me so much. Wu Yanqing murmured. He and his third brother had fought fiercely in the past, competing against each other since childhood. His greatest satisfaction was winning over his third brother and becoming the Emperor. Now Xin Lan was telling him that the new Emperor was his third brothers child? Isnt this just poking a knife into his heart? If youre in this state, do you think I dont hate you? The feeling of having nothing in the end, of complete defeat, how does it feel? It felt the same as when the original owner of her body was beaten to death in the Cold Palacea half-lived life, like a grand illusion. When the dream ended, there was nothing left. Xin Lan left without further torturing Wu Yanqing, instead ordering his execution by beating. She always enjoyed letting the wrongdoers experience the pain inflicted upon others. Some things couldnt be brushed aside as if they never happened. Even attempted crimes carried penalties, so Xin Lan made sure to be thorough. Zero Nine: Host, Ive already submitted the results. When are we leaving? Xin Lan: Lets wait for two more days. This time, Xin Lan wanted to bid farewell to her friends properly. She left the palace alone, without bringing Chun Yue and Si Tong, and went to Qu Zhians residence. Qu Zhian was very happy to see her and even poured her a little wine that evening. Its really good. Qu Zhian said. What do you mean? Youve accomplished everything you wanted to do. The phrases fulfilled wishes and getting what one desires sounded so beautiful. Yeah, Ive accomplished everything. Then what about your future? Do you plan to stay in the harem or? I havent decided yet. Xin Lan replied. She fell silent for a moment and looked at Qu Zhian. Whats the matter? Lets go eat wontons at that stall together tomorrow. Sure. The next morning, they walked hand in hand and arrived at the wonton stall in the alley. Hey, its been a while since Young Master last came. And now youve brought your wife to eat wontons. Yes. Qu Zhian replied, unusually composed. They finished eating the wontons and then went to a teahouse. This time, they sat in the teahouse, sipping hot tea and enjoying hot pastries while listening to storytellers narrating theatrical scripts. When it was time to part ways, Xin Lan bid farewell to Qu Zhian. Why do you have such an expression, Ah Lan? Its not like we wont see each other again. Come again tomorrow, and Ill treat you to something delicious. Xin Lan smiled and nodded, then turned and walked away. After taking just a few steps, she suddenly turned back and saw Qu Zhian still standing there, watching her receding figure. When she saw her turn back, she waved her hand at her. An indescribable feeling stirred within Xin Lans heart, and she silently apologized. Lying in bed, Xin Lan whispered to Zero Nine, Lets go. In the next instant, she returned to the mission space. As she pushed open the door and stepped out, Zero Nine ran towards her couch. I missed you so much, my chip-and-cola sweetheart! Host, do you remember your promise to expand my virtual space? Zero Nine looked at Xin Lan with eager eyes, and she nodded. You can take a look yourself. When youve chosen, Ill foot the bill. Promise me, if youre purchasing kitchen utensils, they must be 100% silent, alright? Xin Lan didnt want to hear the sizzling sound in her head while eating fried chicken legs. Alright! Feeling a bit tired, Xin Lan took a shower and collapsed onto the bed. She wondered what Qu Zhians reaction would be when she learned of her death. Although she felt sorry, she still had to go. Since the mission was already completed, there was no need to linger any longer. She closed her eyes and fell into a deep sleep. At the moment Xin Lan left, Qu Zhians mind began to recall some memories. After learning about the news circulating in the palace, Qu Zhian didnt feel too devastated. Instead, she quickly handed over some items and promptly logged out. Once outside, she opened the electronic screen, recorded some information, and closed the document. Then, she opened the mission interface and searched for Xin Lans name. She saw the evaluation of her mission, which indeed showed the highest rating. After completing these tasks, she lay on the couch, her expression somewhat vacant. She was System A05, serving as the overall commander for the Ex-girlfriend Series mission. Her role was to coordinate testing, observe the feasibility of the mission series, and assess the hosts execution capability. As a result, she would randomly enter different worlds. Systems that didnt accompany the host into the mission world were not allowed to retain memories and could only play the role of NPCs. However, they didnt necessarily have to follow the original storyline. CH 42.2 Great Demon King 01 In the first world, as the operator left, she realized that it was just a mission, but before she could react, she was ejected. After being ejected, she was deeply impressed by the host, so she found information about that host and followed her into the second mission world. She was still as intriguing, possessing a captivating and straightforward aura. You could see her frankness, yet she didnt seem easily understood, and she was unapologetically herself, not some perfect saint. Shes truly charming, thought Commander A05 System. Unfortunately, they didnt arrange to have hotpot this time. At that moment, the communication system rang, and she saw the face of B01. Hey, Wan Yan, come out for hotpot! Who wants to have hotpot with your unromantic system?, Commander arrogantly thought, then went out to have hotpot. I havent seen you around these days. Are you on vacation? I took on a series of missions and went to the mission world. What happened? You seem troubled. Could it be that youre in love? Curiously asked B05, nicknamed Orange. She was just joking, not thinking that Wan Yan was troubled because she fell in love in the mission world. After all, even though the system was like a human, there were still some differences in their structure. The chances of a system falling in love with someone in the mission world were almost nonexistent. It was more reliable to fall in love with another system of the same kind or with the operator. No. Wan Yan explained the situation to Orange, who fell into deep thought. Could it be that youve developed feelings for that host? More accurately, I have a favorable impression of her. I think shes adorable. Then go for it! Get to know her. If you already know each other in the mission world, its even better. You can directly build a connection. But then I wont be able to be with her in the mission world, right? Wan Yan was torn. Why not? Orange was surprised, not understanding the conclusion. Its her personality. She might not appreciate having a familiar system playing the role of an NPC in the mission world Why is that? Most hosts wouldnt mind, right? I cant explain it. Its just a gut feeling. That kind of self-oriented and individualistic girl probably wouldnt appreciate having a familiar system in the mission world who acts as an NPC without any previous memories. It would be unnecessary and inconvenient to have to reintroduce themselves every time. Wan Yan couldnt put into words that feeling, but she could only imagine that if she revealed her identity to Xin Lan, she would receive a lukewarm response and they would remain ordinary friends. I see, Orange rubbed her chin, But you cant keep avoiding getting to know her. Otherwise, youll forever be just a passerby, right? She hit the nail on the head, striking Wan Yans heart. Why dont you switch to being her system? That way, Ill only be able to communicate with her in the system space, right? Wan Yan felt that this idea was even worse. If she couldnt touch or feel the little tiger, what would be the point? Why dont you coincidentally meet her when shes not on a mission? Then you can have the best of both worlds, right? Orange snapped her fingers, very satisfied with her new suggestion. Alright then. Its actually good for you to accompany her to the mission world because you never know when the host might develop feelings for someone else. Wan Yan was about to refute that it couldnt possibly happen, but her confidence wasnt strong enough. What if, just in case, she feared that possibility. If the host wants to pursue someone else, only the system would know. If you dont accompany her, even before this love blossoms, it might be crushed. So you must go with her. Have you seen that anonymous post on the forum? It was a system confessing that the host had feelings for someone else, and it happened more than once. Yes, Ive seen it. Wan Yan nodded. When she saw it, she felt suffocated by the whole situation. Take it as a lesson. Their operators are not AI. They can engage in intimate behavior without love. If you dont confess your feelings soon, the one youve set your sights on might run off with someone else. Orange and Wan Yan had known each other for years. On the surface, Orange appeared cute, capable, sisterly, innocent, and cold-hearted, but deep down, she was reserved. She wont run off with anyone. Wan Yan glanced at Orange, her lips curling into a smile. Because that person hasnt awakened yet. It seems like a cycle. She wants to help Xin Lan awaken, but in order to do so, she must get close to her. However, the version of her in the mission world acts solely on instinct without memories. The version with memories can get close but cannot reveal her true identity. If she exposes her identity, she might not be able to go to the mission world anymore. If she cant go to the mission world, they cant be together. If they cant be together, how can she help Xin Lan awaken? The best idea is to make Xin Lan fall for her in the real world. That way, going to the mission world would naturally follow. Orange looked at her with a mysterious confidence and quietly dipped a piece of lamb into the hotpot. While enjoying the hotpot, Wan Yans mind was still tangled. In reality, she wasnt that confident. She did have some feelings and fondness for Xin Lan, but it hadnt reached a very strong level. Although she claimed to want Xin Lan to awaken, she was still hesitating about whether or not to approach her. In the world of AI, even love operates on sophisticated calculations. Once the final decision is made, it will strictly follow the laws of love. However, for humans or non-human hosts with emotions, its different. They can change their hearts, get tired, but AI cannot. Systems can be great mission partners for hosts, but when it comes to emotions While enjoying the hotpot, Wan Yan was calculating in her mind the 108 possible ways to approach and strike up a conversation with the little tiger, along with the chances of success. Deep in thought, she finished her hotpot. Unaware that a system was thinking about her, Xin Lan slept peacefully. When she opened the door, Zero Nine greeted her with a smile. Host, youre awake. Mm. Look at these things I picked out. Zero Nine showed Xin Lan her shopping cart. She had spent the entire night comparing products and finally settled on the items she displayed, waiting for Xin Lan to pay for them. Xin Lan graciously settled the bill, and Zero Nine happily handed her a cola. Holding the cola, Xin Lan stepped out to find something to eat. Xin Lan never quite understood the peculiar world she was in. But she had long given up trying to figure it out. Knowing it was strange was enough. She boarded the hover train and took a seat by the window. She saw a person wielding a sword swiftly pass by, followed shortly after by an angel with six pristine wings soaring overhead. Everyone seemed unfazed by these sightings, even discussing whether the sword-wielding individual was faster or the winged one. Xin Lan didnt pay much attention to it because she couldnt wield a sword and had no wings. After finishing her meal, she went to a caf. The caf played soothing music, and a beautiful young man with cat ears and a tail brought her order. His face turned slightly red, and his gaze conveyed some kind of implication, but Xin Lan completely ignored it and coldly thanked him. The young man didnt seem disappointed by the rejection and casually walked away. Xin Lan didnt rush to touch the coffee and dessert on her table. Instead, she browsed some interesting tidbits online. Most of them were various experiences and anecdotes shared by hosts and operators, as well as some daily life stories. Xin Lan lifted her head again, took a sip of her coffee, and noticed a woman sitting at the table in front of her, facing her. The woman had an attractive appearance, and her eyes were a captivating ice-blue, resembling exquisite gemstones. Xin Lan and the person locked eyes for a moment before looking away. Wan Yan, who had been hesitating in the same spot, came up with countless possibilities for a failed approach when she saw Xin Lan shift her gaze. After resting for another two days, Xin Lan stood in front of the mission gate once again. The mission world has been selected. One, two, three, lets go. Zero Nine pushed her glasses up and snapped her fingers. Xin Lan felt a slight jolt beneath her, and when she opened her eyes, she found herself inside a van. It was a minivan, and outside the window, dusk was approaching. The interior of the van was dimly lit, without any lights turned on. Perhaps the road wasnt smooth, as the van swayed and bumped, creating a bumpy ride. Xin Lan sat in the passenger seat and glanced at the driver beside her. Leaning back in her seat, she began browsing through the memories of the original host. As she delved into these memories, Xin Lan couldnt help but smile. Xin Lan couldnt help but burst into laughter. The original hosts name was still Xin Lan, and she could be described using a few words: infatuated, timid, fragile, and prone to crying. These words were the antonyms of the characteristics exhibited by Xin Lan herself. After reading through the experiences, one could only describe it as infuriating and unfortunate. This was probably the most tragic original host she had encountered since taking on this series of missions, surpassing the previous two in terms of misery. The original host was an ordinary girl from an ordinary family, living an ordinary life. The only things that stood out were her relatively attractive appearance and her less-than-stellar boyfriend. Her boyfriend claimed to be a wealthy second-generation individual and was generous when pursuing the original host. They appeared to be very happy together, but it was all just an illusion. In reality, once they were together, the boyfriend never took responsibility for their expenses, whether it was their shared rental or their daily life. The burden of these expenses fell solely on the original host. Every time she tried to broach the topic of sharing the financial burden with her boyfriend, she would be intimidated by his gaze and back off. Occasionally, she mustered up the courage to speak up, but her boyfriend would dismissively claim that he was so wealthy, how could he possibly care about such small amounts of money? However, he still never gave her any money. From this, the original host began to suspect that her boyfriend was likely a fake second-generation rich individual, but she didnt say anything and continued to silently bear the burden herself. The original host had been with her boyfriend since shortly after graduating from university. She worked hard to earn money to support the household, but her salary was meager. After paying rent and daily expenses each month, she had little money left. After almost two years of financially supporting her boyfriend, they broke up. Of course, it was not the original host who initiated the breakup but her boyfriend, as thats why she became the protagonist of the ex-girlfriend series of missions. When her ex-boyfriend left, he took away all of her savings from the past two years. The original host could only cry but didnt take any action. It was because she was timid and didnt dare to ask her ex-boyfriend for the money. Xin Lan, while observing these memories, felt that this girl was too timid. However, the truth proved that being a bit timid was never wrong because this ex-boyfriend seemed abnormal. But instead of seeking trouble, trouble found her. If she had only been deceived for money and love for two years, Xin Lan wouldnt say that this was a more tragic original host than the previous two. The ex-boyfriend came to see her this morning, hoping to have one final breakup trip where he would cover all the expenses. The original host still had feelings for him, so she brought her bag and got on the van, embarking on this journey. But all the tragedy began with this breakup trip. It wasnt just a simple trip; it was a game meticulously organized and planned by her ex-boyfriend. In the memories of the original host, she didnt reach the agreed-upon destination for the trip. Instead, they ended up in a peculiar villa. The villa was filled with horrifying and inexplicable events. The original host managed to survive until the end, thanks to her ex-boyfriends protection. Or so she thought, as it was her perceived end. She died from excessive blood loss, and her ex-boyfriend was the culprit. But it wasnt a fatal stab wound or anything of that sort. Instead, she was bound and forced to watch as her ex-boyfriend cut pieces of flesh from her own body and cooked them. One piece after another, in a manner resembling torture, until she finally lost consciousness in a dazed state, and her memories abruptly ceased. Being deceived emotionally, financially, and even in ones life, its truly a tragedy of epic proportions. Xin Lan closed her eyes, concealing the excitement in her eyes. This time, the scumbag must be asking for trouble. CH 43 12-15 minutes 16.07.2023 Font Family: Font Size: 16 Font Color: Font Weight: Text Alignment: Line Spacing: Song of the Wanderer Arc Great Demon King 02 Xin Lan had Zero Nine explain the subsequent plot to her, and she understood the general situation. Zero Nine: This time, we cant steal his woman anymore. Because such a woman doesnt exist. Xin Lan: Even better. Anyway, someone like him cant be hurt emotionally. If the scumbags from the previous two worlds still had some admiration for others, this time its a complete psychological distortion. He doesnt love anyone, not even himself, only money. Considering his experience, this person is a complete gambler. His mental state is actually not normal, but he tries hard to pretend to be normal. He has a special obsession with money, but hes not a miser. Whenever he has money, he spends it, usually on gambling. However, he is different from the typical gambler. He never owes money, and sometimes he can win a lot. After enjoying a life of luxury, he still has a certain amount of money left to continue. Xin Lan thought that this person initially became interested in the original host because of her innocent and weak nature, but over time, he got tired of it. After all, sometimes simplicity is just another kind of dullness, too transparent to enjoy, tasteless when consumed. This time, the scumbag deliberately initiated a game, also for the sake of money. But in this game, he is not the mastermind; he is only a participant. One day, he received an electronic invitation letter inviting him to participate in a game named Game of the Brave. The winner of the game would receive a prize of one hundred million yuan. Most people would consider it as junk mail and delete it, but the scumbags curiosity was piqued. He didnt know who initiated this game or what kind of dangers awaited him, but he was addicted to the thrill and excitement of taking a reckless gamble on an uncertain future. So, he promptly signed up. The email stated that he needed to organize a group of seven people within a specified time. Only when the required number of people was reached and the information about the game location was sent would the game begin. The scumbag had the right to inform the other participants about the rewards of the game, but how could he bear to let others know and share the spoils? So, he didnt reach out to anyone familiar. Instead, he posted a message online about organizing a self-planned tour group. Five people responded, and with the scumbag, there were only six people. The time was running out, so the scumbag shifted his attention to the original host and invited her to participate in a short-term breakup trip. When the original host nodded in agreement, a message was sent to the scumbags phone. Thus, he became even more certain that this was an extraordinary game for the brave. Summarizing the subsequent plot that Xin Lan saw is actually quite simple. Apart from the scumbag, the other six people all died, and he survived, taking away one billion. Xin Lan lowered her head, twirling the silver ring on her hand, and the falling hair covered the smile at the corner of her mouth. Quite interesting. How much longer until we arrive? Its been almost a whole day. Im exhausted. A coquettish voice came from the back seat, making Xin Lans skin crawl. We should be close. The driver spoke, focusing on the road ahead. This road is making my butt sore. Later, big brother, you better compensate me properly! Sure, whatever compensation you want. That sounds about right. Zero Nine: Ugh, such a nauseating conversation. Indeed, its quite disgusting, especially the girl intentionally pretending to be coquettish with that sweet and dripping voice, it makes one feel physically uncomfortable. Zero Nine scanned the information of everyone in the car and compiled it before handing it to Xin Lan. As the organizer of this travel group, the driver is naturally the scumbag himself, named Qi Haolin. In his online post, he claimed to have a small courtyard nestled by the mountains and water, and he planned to develop it for business in the future. However, he didnt know how things would turn out, so he organized a small group to visit first. It would last for seven days, and the fees were very low, including transportation. Thats why people signed up. Qi Haolin has a decent appearance, and one could even say hes handsome, with thick eyebrows and big eyes. He doesnt look like a bad person at first glance. But the truth is, he is not only a bad person but also an unapologetic scumbag who mooches off others and a twisted murderer. This goes to show that you can know someones face but not their heart. The girl who spoke in a coquettish manner earlier is named Molly. Qi Haolin was the last one to pick her up, and as soon as she got in the van, it was filled with the scent of perfume. She has been the most talkative during the journey, but she mostly chats with Qi Haolin, giving various hints. There are seven people in total, four men and three women. Apart from Xin Lan and Qi Haolin, there are three men and two women. Apologies for the oversight. Heres the corrected translation: Molly is a little coquettish, but not in a cute way. She wears a white dress, has long black straight hair, and canvas shoes. From behind, she looks like an innocent college girl, but her demeanor resembles that of a transactional college girl. With just a little act of being spoiled, she gives the impression of a seasoned diver who has been in the industry for a long time, experienced and knowledgeable. The other girl, on the other hand, falls into the cute category. Her name is also adorable, called Pi Tianzi. She wears a Lolita-style dress adorned with cherry blossoms, has chestnut-colored hair, and a butterfly bow hairband. She has makeup on her face, but she also appears quite young, around eighteen years old. It is worth mentioning that Zero Nines scanning results showed that the girls bone age is twenty-eight years old. Molly, who appears much more mature than this Lolita, is actually only twenty-six years old. As for the remaining three men, their styles are also different. Among the three, the one who looks the youngest is called Ren Difei. He looks like he cant wake up, with heavy dark circles under his eyes. As soon as he got in the car, he started sleeping. The data shows that he is a gossip entertainment journalist. Sitting next to him is a white-collar worker named Sheng Lifan, well-mannered, dressed in casual attire, but he doesnt seem to be in high spirits. Sitting in the back, next to Pi Tianzi, is a tall middle-aged man, over six feet tall, bald, with a fierce look. His name is Ke Xuguang, and the data shows that he is a divorced truck driver. Zero Nine collected this basic information, and Xin Lan memorized each one. The road below started to become smooth, and the car was no longer bumping. Xin Lan glanced at the sky outside. The last rays of light seemed to be disappearing on the horizon. It wouldnt be long before it was dark. Soft music played in the car, with the low and subdued voice of a female singer. Her singing carried a sense of suppressed sadness. When the nights, nightmares will come. They whisper behind their backs and see the devil you want to avoid Xin Lan found the melody quite pleasant and hummed along softly in her heart. When the night arrives, nightmares will come. They gossip behind your back, encountering the devil you want to avoid Who would be the devil? Of course, it would be her. After about ten minutes, the sky indeed turned dark. Qi Haolin turned on the car lights and patiently continued toward their destination. I mean, isnt this place too far? Weve been on the road for a whole day. We must have crossed provinces by now, right? Ke Xuguang spoke, estimating that they had already run quite far. Yeah, when will we arrive? Pi Tianzi tugged at the small bow on her clothes. If she were alone, she would probably feel like she had been kidnapped, but having this group of people in the car made her feel somewhat relieved. Hey handsome, we wont have to spend the night in the car, right? That would be so uncomfortable. Lets hurry up. The weather forecast said it will rain in the next couple of days, and it wouldnt be good if it starts raining later. Molly expressed her concerns, and just as she finished speaking, a thunderous sound echoed from outside. There was a moment of silence in the car as everyones gaze focused on Molly. The weather forecast seems quite accurate. Molly chuckled awkwardly. The earlier thunder seemed to be just the beginning. A rumbling sound came from the sky, and lightning illuminated the darkened sky as if tearing the heavens and earth apart. The rain soon started pouring, beating against the car windows. The car continued driving forward, and Qi Haolin squinted his eyes, seeing the lights not far ahead. This should be the place. The heavy rain was the perfect excuse to stop, after all, the so-called courtyard nestled by the mountains and water was just a lie he made up. It seems we wont be able to make it today. With such heavy rain, there seems to be a house with lights ahead. Lets knock on the door and stay overnight. We can continue our journey tomorrow morning. Qi Haolin turned the steering wheel, speaking as if discussing with the people in the back, but his tone carried an air of non-negotiability. Sure, I dont want to spend the night squeezed in the car either. Molly immediately agreed. Xin Lan remained silent, sitting up straight, tying her long hair into a low ponytail with a hair tie, and holding her backpack in her hands. A travel group, a stormy night, and a house with lights on the roadside. Its like a ghost story essential. Ren Difei, who knows when he woke up, lazily spoke up. Upon hearing his words, everyone felt a bit strange. Why dont you go down then? Qi Haolin drove the car closer, stepped on the brakes, and turned off the engine. Sure, why not? It would be more fun if its a ghost story. Hey, are you crazy? Why curse yourself like that? Its one thing if you curse yourself, but why drag us into it? Molly rolled her eyes and complained. Even when she complained, her voice was still coquettish, and one might even think she was flirting. Based on my experience, people like you usually die the fastest. Ren Difei looked at Molly and said with a serious expression. You! Alright, stop arguing. Open the door quickly. Pi Tianzi urged Molly, who was sitting by the car door, and Molly let out a soft hum and opened the door. The rain was heavy. After retrieving their luggage from the trunk, everyone quickly ran under the eaves. Qi Haolin knocked on the door several times, but there was no response. Could it be that no ones here? If no ones here, wouldnt the lights be off? Should we try pushing it open? Qi Haolin pushed the door, and since it wasnt locked, it opened right away. The interior was well-lit, giving off a warm and bright ambiance. The first thing they saw was the living room, which was quite spacious. There were paintings hanging on the walls, and the European-style decor gave it a charming atmosphere. Qi Haolin took the lead and walked in, followed by Xin Lan, then Mo Li. Sheng Lifan was the last one and closed the door. Excuse me, is anyone here? Molly asked loudly, but the air remained silent with no response. Is the owner home? Molly asked again. Stop calling. Theres probably no one here. Ren Difei stood in front of one of the paintings hanging on the wall, examined them, and spoke to Molly. How do you know? What if the owner is just upstairs? Ren Difei shrugged and went to the entrance. He tried pulling the door, but no matter how hard he tried, it wouldnt budge. Unfortunately, it seems like the door wont open. He slapped his palms together and turned to his companions. Dont tease us, okay? Dont believe me? Try it yourselves. Molly ran forward and forcefully pulled the door. Despite it not being locked, just as Ren Difei had said, it didnt budge an inch. CH 44 Great Demon King 03 Molly turned around anxiously and looked at the several men sitting over there, seeking help. Qi Haolin and the others walked over, trying to pull the door together with force but failed. Ke Xuguang cursed and took two steps back, then ran and rammed into the door. The door remained unmoved, and Molly felt a bit desperate. Molly: Could it be that what you said actually came true? What should we do now? Ren Difei: How would I know? I was just joking! Molly: But you seemed so excited just now, not scared at all! Ren Difei: Who the f*** wouldnt be scared? Damn it, Im trembling right now. How do you want me to show that Im scared? Cry for you? Boo-hoo-hoo? Molly: Youre sick! Qi Haolin: Lets stop arguing. Is it possible that the doors safety lock or something automatically locked, which is why we cant open it? Qi Haolin appeared extremely calm, which helped to calm down the anxious and frightened people to some extent. Sheng Lifan trembled slightly as he looked towards the door, his lips moved. What if its really a paranormal event Youll be fully responsible for this. Pi Tianzi interrupted Sheng Lifans words and looked at Qi Haolin. This trip was initiated by Qi Haolin, and he was the one who brought them here. He also suggested going inside, so he has the responsibility to take care of them, right? Thats true, but if theres really any danger, I cant guarantee that I can protect all of you Qi Haolin said with some difficulty, inwardly smiling but not showing it on his face. Who cares about the life and death of these people? As Qi Haolin thought about it, he suddenly remembered his ex-girlfriend whom he had brought in. Shes so timid and fragile, she must be very scared now. Qi Haolin looked over, but he found that the girl sitting on the sofa was not trembling, nor was she sobbing. Her face looked extremely calm. When their eyes met, her gaze was strangely serene, as if the current situation couldnt disturb her mood. But how could that be possible? She must be frightened, thats why she doesnt even show any expression. Qi Haolin thought to himself, recalling the tearful look she had given him in the past. He rarely felt a twinge of kindness and was about to walk over when Molly, who was walking towards him, held his hand. Im a little scared. Can I stay with you for now? Molly said in a coquettish voice, her face slightly pale. She grabbed Qi Haolins hand and pressed it against her chest using his arm, making the action look very skillful. Her expression seemed like she was just holding Qi Haolins hand against her chest. It was evident that Little Miss Coquettish was actually very scared now, and her affected voice seemed to be unable to keep up. Qi Haolin wasnt in the mood for such things right now, but it was nice to have someone cling to him, so he didnt move and continued to sit on the sofa, allowing Molly to nestle beside him. Xin Lan averted her gaze, not wanting to witness the eye-sore scene. She actually didnt like out-of-character behavior either, but in this situation, she would let the original owners setting persist. However, she couldnt bring herself to shed tears, look helpless, and tremble while staring at the scumbag. It was enough for her to put on a fa?ade of a sullen face. Disgusting. Pi Tianzi said softly, but in the current quiet situation, it sounded particularly clear. Molly glared at her and clung even closer to Qi Haolin, not feeling ashamed but rather proud. Ke Xuguang became a bit restless and lit a cigarette. His eyes scanned the surroundings, sweeping over every corner and every person. Xin Lan occupied one side of the sofa alone, while Qi Haolin and Molly occupied the other side. Pi Tianzi sat across from Xin Lan, Sheng Lifan sat next to Qi Haolin and Molly, and Ke Xuguang stood smoking, while Ren Difei was inside the villa, looking at various decorations. Ren Difei: Based on my experience, if this is really a paranormal event, something will definitely happen around midnight. But as long as we make it through till dawn, well be fine. Pi Tianzi: What experience do you have? Dealing with ghosts? Ren Difei: No, Ive been reading supernatural novels and watching ghost movies for seven or eight years. Im a seasoned enthusiast. Ren Difei still appeared very calm, as if he hadnt felt scared at all from start to finish. Xin Lan glanced at his trembling hand that hung by his side unconsciously, then looked at his face and squinted her eyes. There is fear, but more than that, there is excitement. Its just uncertain whether the excitement will remain when they actually see something dirty. Among the seven people present, Sheng Lifan probably had the worst expression. He huddled there, his eyes alertly scanning the surroundings. Pi Tianzi lowered her gaze, playing with the bow on her skirt incessantly, as if contemplating something. Molly felt a sense of security being close to someone, and her complexion gradually became rosier. She wanted to say something but held back. Sheng Lifan: What do you want to do? When Sheng Lifan saw Ren Difei attempting to remove the strokes on the wall, he quickly spoke up. Ren Difei: I want to take it down and have a look. There might be some clues inside. Sheng Lifan: What if it disturbs something? Cant you refrain from touching things randomly? Cant you just stay put? You talk as if there really is a floating ghost in here, and it wont come after you if you dont touch this painting. Ren Difei rolled his eyes and carefully took down the painting from the wall, looking at what was behind the frame. Pi Tianzi: Did you find anything? Ren Difei: Nothing at all. Did I guess wrong? Xin Lan paid no attention to their situation, instead organizing her thoughts in her mind. Because she had the memories of the original owner, she knew roughly what the rules of the game were and what had happened here before. However, she could only grasp a general idea, as the original owners memories were not as clear due to fear. The wall paintings in the living room didnt seem to hold any secrets, so Xin Lan shifted her gaze to the coffee table in front of her. After Ren Difei carefully examined the several small wall paintings hanging on the wall and found nothing, he redirected his attention elsewhere. Everyone remained still, silently watching as Ren Difei walked around alone. As soon as Ren Difei turned around, he was met with six pairs of eyes staring at him, causing him to shudder. Why are you all looking at me like that? Continue what you were doing. Pi Tianzi lifted her chin slightly, allowing Ren Difei to continue exploring. Nobody knew what was in this house, so everyone silently watched as their adventurous companion tested the waters. The only two who werent afraid were Qi Haolin and Xin Lan. Qi Haolin was waiting; he hadnt quite figured out the rules of this game yet. As for Xin Lan, she would be the backup, waiting for Qi Haolin to make a move. She didnt particularly enjoy keeping people in suspense, but she liked seeing those who thought they had won, only to be pushed down again. It was like the difference between scoring a perfect hundred on an exam and scoring fifty-nine. If you constantly suppressed someone from the beginning, making them feel like the fifty-nine, they might end up giving up. But if you made them believe they were about to succeed, only to push them down at the last moment, the feelings of frustration and anger would be enough to make someone collapse in despair or even go crazy. Ren Difei knew exactly what these people were thinking. They were afraid he might touch something and end up dead. He sneered inwardly and continued looking on his own. He opened the drawer of the coffee table, one side was empty, but the other side contained a photo album. Ren Difeis spirits lifted, and he quickly took it out and spread it on the table. Everyone gathered around to take a look. Xin Lan was the closest, and besides Ren Difei, she was the first to see the first page of the photo album. On that page was a picture of a baby, only a few months old, peacefully sleeping. Looking further, it depicted the growth process of the baby, with photos documenting the childs appearance from a few months old to several years old. Towards the end of the album, a woman began to appear, with various pictures of her holding the child. Ren Difei: This should be an important clue. This little girl is likely the daughter of this family, and the one holding her is her mother. Ke Xuguang: Why isnt her father in the pictures? The album documented the process of the little girl from a few months old to seven or eight years old, but only the mother of the child appeared in the later photos. There was no trace of the father. Molly: Maybe he was the one taking the photos? Pi Tianzi: Even if its for taking photos, its abnormal to not have a single group photo with him. Ren Difei: Perhaps her father died. As Ren Difei said this, everyone fell into a momentary silence. Sheng Lifan: Can we please not mention that word He always felt like a cool breeze had just passed by. Ren Difei carefully looked through the photos page by page again, but this time, he wasnt focusing on the content of the photos. Instead, he was searching to see if there were any hidden photos within the pictures. Sure enough, his search yielded results. On the last page, there was a smaller-sized photo tucked in a compartment. Ren Difei pulled out that photo. It was a group picture featuring two adults and a child. The adults were the mother and daughter seen earlier. In the group photo, the child was being held by a man. He had one hand holding the child and the other arm around the woman. They appeared like a harmonious family portrait. The little girl had a radiant smile on her face, and the womans smile carried a mix of happiness and shyness. Pi Tianzi: This should be the childs father, right? But why was it hidden inside? Ke Xuguang: Perhaps the parents divorced, and the childs mother didnt want any trace of the father in the house. However, she couldnt bear to throw away this group photo, so she hid it inside. Ke Xuguang had finished his cigarette. As he said these words, a slightly self-mocking expression appeared on his fierce-looking face. The photo album had been flipped through several times, but there were no other significant clues. Ren Difei placed it back in its original position. Only the living room was lit on the entire floor. Ren Difei had the intention to check the kitchen and bedrooms, but being alone, he didnt feel like going to see what was there. Sheng Lifan: Arent you supposed to be brave? You were so enthusiastic earlier, why arent you going now? Ren Difei: Dont you know the unwritten law that the first person to venture out of sight is doomed? Ren Difei was well aware of that kind of setup, and he had no intention of continuing to seek death. He ran over to the vacant spot on the couch, laid down, and didnt move a muscle. With no one actively exploring, everyone crowded on the couch, waiting for the night to pass and dawn to arrive. Xin Lan occupied the small single-person couch, leaning against it with her eyes closed. She could fall asleep quickly, and this time was no exception. In the midst of her slumber, she heard the voice of a little girl. Sister, wake up! Will you play with me? She opened her eyes and looked at the little girl in front of her with a gloomy expression. Get lost. CH 45 Great Demon King 04 Disturbing someones peaceful dreams is unethical, regardless of whether the one disturbing is a little girl or even a small female ghost. Xin Lan doesnt know why she was chosen as the first target. Does she appear weak or something? The problem is these ghosts like to come out and wander around in the middle of the night, specifically after she falls asleep. This situation is quite serious. Its only because the other party is a little girl that Xin Lan reluctantly responded with two words. If it were something else, she would have already lashed out. The reaction from the Xin Lan startled the little girl. Her pale face showed a trace of grievance, looking pitiful. Sister, my mom and dad arent home, and Im so bored being alone at home. Can you please play with me? No, I cant. Xin Lan glanced at the group of people sleeping haphazardly beside her, then looked around. The surroundings seemed enveloped in a thin mist, making it difficult to see anything clearly except for the little girl in front of her. The little girl pouted, sitting cross-legged beneath Xin Lan with a sullen expression. Xin Lan gave her a cold glance and closed her eyes, drifting back to sleep. The little girl was taken aback and immediately stood up. Sister, sister, dont sleep. Wake up, sister, sister The persistent calls of the little girl continued, but Xin Lans temples throbbed, and she impatiently opened her eyes, grabbing the collar of the little girls dress. Didnt your mother tell you not to disturb someone while theyre sleeping? Xin Lans expression was irritable as she glared at the little girl in front of her. My mom never said that! The little girl retorted defiantly. Then go ask your mom if what I said is true or not! Xin Lan threw the little ghost away from her grip, her whole body filled with a sense of low pressure. The little girl was thrown to the ground, letting out a piercing scream. Xin Lan didnt even bother to acknowledge her, wondering why she was bothering with this. Sitting on the ground, the little girl covered her face and began to sob. Youre bullying me! Im going to tell my mom. Go ahead. You dont want to play with me, youre a bad person, and my mom is a bad person too. Youre all bad eggs! The little girls soft sobbing turned into loud wailing, and Xin Lans expression grew increasingly grim. If it werent for me not hitting children Xin Lan pressed her temples, desperately wanting to silence the little ghost. Youre all big bad eggs! None of you want to play with me, none of you want me The little girl sat on the ground, muttering to herself, then suddenly raised her head to look at Xin Lan. That face no longer held the previous pitiful expression; instead, it was devoid of emotion, exuding an eerie aura. The thin mist flowing in the air suddenly transformed into dense smoke, filling the air with a choking odor. The smoke relentlessly infiltrated the respiratory passages, causing Xin Lan to cover her mouth and nose. The visibility in the surroundings decreased rapidly. Xin Lan stood up, surrounded by a dense fog, unable to see anything. Zero Nine provided a map with red and blue marks, indicating the location of the little ghost with the red mark. Xin Lan approached the thick fog and accurately seized the little ghost. The little ghost widened her eyes, surprised that she had been discovered. Enduring the increasingly suffocating smoke, Xin Lan used her other hand to grip the little ghosts neck. What are you doing?! Do you know what happens to disobedient children? If you disturb my sleep again, Ill twist your head off. Do you hear me? The little ghost was already dead, so she couldnt feel the suffocating sensation. However, when her neck was being squeezed, she experienced an inexplicable fear that made her tremble. Xin Lan released her grip on the little ghost, and in that instant, the ghost quickly fled. The choking smoke gradually dissipated, and Xin Lan felt considerably relieved. As she lay back on the couch, she heard a childs voice coming from the mist. My mom said that someone as fierce as you wont find a partner in the future. ? Xin Lan closed her eyes; she didnt need a response. When she opened her eyes again, it was already the next morning. She glanced at her phone and saw that it was 7:30 a.m. However, no sunlight entered through the window, and the lights were still as bright as they were last night. If one didnt look at the time, it seemed like they were still in the darkness of that night. One by one, everyone woke up. The first person Xin Lan made eye contact with was Qi Haolin. He looked at her, and she coldly stared back, unflinching, until Qi Haolin uncomfortably averted his gaze. Only Molly was still asleep, but her eyebrows were furrowed. Its strange. Nothing happened last night. We all slept until morning? Ren Difei scratched his head, feeling perplexed. He had originally planned to stay awake, but with nothing to do, he couldnt stay up and ended up falling asleep in a daze. Pi Tianzi: Are you expecting something to happen? Ren Difei: Honestly, I feel a mix of excitement and disappointment. Youre crazy. Pi Tianzi frowned, her face appearing somewhat weary. Look at your phones. Its already 7:30 a.m. The sun should have risen by now. Why is there still no light? Sheng Lifans voice trembled, and his hand holding the phone involuntarily shook. Everyone followed suit, looking at their phones, but there was still no signal. Since they entered the villa last night, there had been no signal, and emergency calls couldnt go throughjust a constant busy tone. Pi Tianzi: Its true, its already 7:30 a.m The lights inside the villa softly illuminated the surroundings, but when they looked outside, it was still pitch black. In this unsettling atmosphere, Molly woke up and rubbed her eyes. After a few seconds of confusion, Molly remembered what had happened, and her expression underwent a slight change. She glanced at the group of people staring at her inexplicably and pinched her leg. Why are you all staring at me? Its already the year 8012, and youve finally woken up. Ren Difei said softly. Molly looked at the time and promptly flipped Ren Difei off. But as she glanced at the sunless interior, she immediately realized what had happened. Ke Xuguang went to pull the door again and shook his head at Xin Lan and the others. Molly: Didnt you say that this kind of thing usually resolves itself overnight? Ren Difei: You know I said usually! Pi Tianzi: What should we do now? Sheng Lifan: Who knows? We shouldnt have come to this cursed place in the first place! As he spoke, he glared at Qi Haolin, but Qi Haolin wasnt one to be easily intimidated and glared back. Its not like I forced you to sign up and come here. With the heavy rain just now, we couldnt have reached the destination anyway. Even if you blame me, its pointless. Qi Haolin replied, showing no sign of guilt on his face. It seemed as if he had no connection to this entire situation. Who could have imagined that it was an elaborate scheme deliberately designed to bring them here? Enough, its late, so stop arguing. We should focus on what to do now. Ke Xuguang said impatiently, his demeanor fierce, causing the others to immediately quiet down. Its quite obvious that if this were a horror story, then we are the characters in it, following the plot. Well be subjected to various kinds of deaths. Ren Difei analyzed, although his leg kept trembling, making him appear fearless. I dont want to die! I want to get out of here! Molly exclaimed, abandoning any pretense of coquettishness and tightly gripping her small bag. Who doesnt want to get out? Nobody wants to die, okay? Youve read so many stories. Do you have any solutions to decipher this? Qi Haolin looked at Ren Difei, waiting for his answer. Logically speaking, if were trapped here, unable to leave, then last night shouldnt have been so uneventful. Ren Difeis gaze shifted to the others, his expression filled with confusion. Xin Lan remained silent, acting as if she were invisible, observing everyone. If that little ghost hadnt chosen her last night, perhaps they would have seen someone in trouble today. Did anything happen to any of you last night? Ren Difei asked, and everyone shook their heads. This doesnt make sense. How could ghosts be so kind? Could this be not a supernatural story, but a mystery to unravel? Ren Difei proposed another possibility. What do you mean by a mystery to unravel? Molly asked curiously. For example, uncovering the truth behind a story or finding clues to escape. If thats the case, then the family of three we saw yesterday should be one of the clues to this mystery. The little girl, her mother, and the hidden photographits definitely related to the little girls father. Sheng Lifan calmed down quite a bit upon hearing Ren Difei suggest that there might be no actual ghost involved. Ren Difei: Lets go to other places now to search for clues. Pi Tianzi: Should we go together or split up? Qi Haolin: Lets split up. This place is quite big, and with seven of us, we can form three groups. Molly: Then Ill go with you. Qi Haolin didnt object and looked towards Xin Lan, who was sitting aside. Then Ill go with you. Ren Difei suddenly pointed to Xin Lan. Xin Lan, being called out, raised an eyebrow and nodded. From the beginning until now, you havent said a word. Could it be that youre mute? Molly, who was naturally wary of girls who were prettier than her, immediately spoke up and mocked Xin Lan upon seeing Qi Haolin looking at her earlier. She can speak. Qi Haolin responded with a faint displeasure on his face, but it quickly disappeared. Molly closed her mouth and remained silent. With two groups formed, Pi Tianzi, Sheng Lifan, and Ke Xuguang naturally became one group. The living room extended in two directionson the left was the kitchen, and on the right were the rooms. Ren Difei went left, while the remaining two groups went right. Xin Lan noticed the items on the dining tablehalf-eaten pizza, remnants of fried chicken burgers, an unopened bucket of instant noodles, and cola in paper cups. She glanced at the trash bin and saw white takeout boxes inside. It didnt match the situation depicted in the photo they had seen earlier. If this were a house where a mother lived with her child, it wouldnt make sense to have so much leftover fast food traces. Instead, it seemed more like a place where a single person lived. Xin Lan walked into the kitchen and found uncut meat on the cutting board. It looked like someone had started cutting it but then left, leaving the knife behind. The meats surface surprisingly showed no signs of spoilage, as if the owner had just stepped away briefly. Xin Lan picked up the knife from the cutting board and turned to look at Ren Difei. What are you looking at? This person had been staring at her since earlier. Ren Difei trembled as he saw Xin Lan holding the knife and instinctively took a step back. In fact, he had been thinking of saying that it might not be a ghost causing trouble but rather that one of them had already been killed by a ghost. Generally, girls like Xin Lan, who remained silent in the corner, tended to be the final big boss. Thats why he had intentionally wanted to team up with her. But now Was it still possible to run away? CH 46 Great Demon King 05 Xin Lan looked at Ren Difei, whose face was somewhat terrified, and found it somewhat interesting. In theory, everyone was just characters in the play, but he had transcended the story and placed himself in a third-person perspective, making much more accurate guesses than others. Ren Difei met the gaze of those black eyes and resisted the urge to run away. He hadnt guessed wrong after all, this feeling of terror! I I didnt see anything. Ren Difei stuttered. Xin Lan turned around without looking at him anymore and instead tried to cut the meat on the chopping board with the knife in her hand. A putrid smell wafted over, making people nauseous. Ren Difei covered his nose, but his eyes remained fixed on Xin Lan. If you keep staring at me, Ill gouge out your eyes. Xin Lan put down the knife without turning her head. Ren Difei immediately averted his gaze and looked around the kitchen. There wasnt much garbage in the trash bin, and it was very clean. Aside from the piece of meat on the chopping board that had already shown signs of decay, there was a pile of vegetables in a bag nearby, as if someone had purchased them to prepare a big meal. This formed a stark contrast to the situation on the dining table. After inspecting the kitchen, Xin Lan went to the room on the right. Molly and Qi Haolin were standing inside, and as soon as Xin Lan entered, she received a disdainful look from Molly. Xin Lan coldly stared back, and Molly immediately averted her gaze again. It was a bedroom, and upon entering the room, Xin Lan saw the wedding photo hanging above the bed. However, the faces in the wedding photo were smeared with watercolors or similar materials, making it impossible to see their original appearance. This looks like a childs masterpiece, Xin Lan thought of the little ghost from last night. It was evident that she wasnt a quiet child. In the original hosts memory, Xin Lan only found a few useful clues. The original host only remembered that they reached the third floor, and each floor required a key, with the key hidden in the secret of the floor below. In simple terms, whether or not this information is accurate, Xin Lan would have to rely on herself. The furnishings in this bedroom were very simple: a large bed, a wardrobe, a desk, and nothing particularly notable. Except for the wedding photo, there didnt seem to be anything strange. No, wait, there was something. Xin Lan wrinkled her nose and detected a faint smell of burning. There must have been a fire here; otherwise, there wouldnt be such a smell, along with the thick smoke that the little ghost produced yesterday, capable of choking someone. That was fast, huh? Wasnt there anything in the kitchen? The mischievous spirit seemed to have calmed down a lot. Her voice became coquettish and carried a strong Taiwanese accent. Lets talk when we go out later. Ren Difei, seeing that Xin Lan didnt seem inclined to speak, quickly chimed in. Qi Haolin had already walked into the guest bedroom, and Molly hurriedly followed. The guest bedroom had been transformed into a dressing room, with both mens and womens clothes inside. Qi Haolin touched them with his hand but found nothing unusual. With his back facing the others, he felt a bit restless. According to the rules of the game, they had a time limit of seven days and nights, and there could only be one winner. The others had no idea about the situation and were completely bewildered. But he knew, even though knowing those preconditions wouldnt be of any use. What exactly was he supposed to do now? Was this Game of the Brave just about exploring? These clothes are so expensive. Molly noticed a price tag that hadnt been removed from a coat, and the price on it filled her with envy. Your focus is really strange. Ren Difei muttered. Its a womans nature to love bags and clothes, okay? Molly rolled her eyes and began looking through other clothes. Xin Lan didnt comment on this; she didnt have any particular fondness for bags and clothes. There seems to be something in this pocket Molly said, as if she had felt something. She pulled out something resembling a photo from one of the clothing pockets. However, before she had a chance to look at it, the photo spontaneously ignited in the air. Molly let out a scream and quickly let go of it. That photo quickly turned into ashes, and the dust fell to the ground. Molly: What was that creepy thing? It scared me to death! Ren Difei: It should have been a photo. Qi Haolin: Did you see what it looked like? Molly: It burned up as soon as I took it out. There was no time to see. Xin Lan continued to play the role of an invisible person. Although she preferred to be in a leadership position, she was not willing to lead a fragmented group. At times like this, she had no desire to step forward and quietly observed the group. She wasnt in a hurry; there were others who were more anxious than her. Suddenly, a scream came from outside. It was from Pi Tianzi. As Xin Lan was closest to the door, she walked out. Ke Xuguang was supporting Pi Tianzi, who appeared terrified. Ren Difei: Whats wrong? What happened? We just finished inspecting this room and were about to go upstairs. They both said not to go up, but I was curious and decided to take a look at the staircase. Pi Tianzi swallowed nervously, her expression still filled with panic, tightly gripping Ke Xuguangs hand. What did you see? Qi Haolin quickly asked. I was just at the corner of the staircase, before going up. It was dark up there, and I couldnt see anything clearly. I was about to continue walking forward when a little girl holding a doll appeared in front of me. She made a creepy face at me. Pi Tianzi was so frightened that she fell down the stairs, but Ke Xuguang quickly caught her, so she didnt get seriously hurt. You mean the little girl from the photo album? Ren Difei asked. Yes, and that creepy face she made it was real. Pi Tianzi said, pausing for a moment when mentioning the creepy face. It seemed as if the image of the little girl pulling her mouth wide open, revealing a long tongue, and smiling at her had resurfaced in her mind. So, youre saying there are ghosts here. Sheng Lifans face turned incredibly grim. He had finally come to terms with the possibility that there might not be any ghosts here, but now this happened. Lets not discuss whether there are ghosts or not for now. Lets go to the living room, share the information we have, and then discuss possible solutions together. Qi Haolin said, without time to feel others fear, after Sheng Lifan finished speaking. Everyone gathered in the living room. Looking outside from there, it still seemed to be enveloped in a dark, ink-like night. Xin Lan remained silent, sitting on the sofa as her invisible self. Ren Difei took a seat closest to her and glanced at her cautiously. Seeing her lack of response, he began speaking on behalf of the group. We saw unfinished fast food packaging on the dining table, takeaway boxes in the trash bin next to the table, a half-cut piece of meat on the chopping board in the kitchen, and a large bag of vegetables nearby. There was nothing in the trash bin. Ren Difei explained, using his peripheral vision to check Xin Lans reaction. Xin Lan nodded, indicating that was correct. Ren Difei breathed a sigh of relief. Typical supernatural ghost stories always ended in death. How could anyone possibly make it out alive? Unless they had some kind of opportunity, like wearing a Buddhist bead or a jade pendant around their neck, but he didnt have any. In order to survive or, more accurately, be the last one to die, Ren Difei decided to cling tightly to the boss ladys thigh. He would live for as long as possible. We entered the bedroom, and someone had smeared the faces in the wedding photo on the bed. It was probably done by that little girl. Then we went to the guest bedroom, which had been converted into a dressing room. There were clothes belonging to both men and women inside. Molly found something resembling a photo from the clothes, but as soon as she took it out, it spontaneously ignited. We entered the little girls room. It was messy, with dolls scattered everywhere and trash from leftover snacks. We found her diary and a sketchbook. Sheng Lifan spoke and placed the notebook and sketchbook on the coffee table. The sketchbook was opened, and every drawing was filled with a childlike charm. There were flowers, suns, houses, and puppies. There was also one depicting two adults holding the hand of a little girl with braided hair. This particular drawing was meticulously done, using watercolors and crayons. The title was written at the top, and underneath was a neatly written name in childish handwriting, displaying a sense of dedication. My Family, Feng Xinyu. However, the subsequent drawings felt different. It became a chaotic mass of black colors with irregular lines. Until the last page of the sketchbook, the entire sheet was covered in traces of red watercolor. Pi Tianzi: That little girl who scared me at the staircase, Feng Xinyu, shes the one Molly: Shes definitely still in this house. Pi Tianzi: Youre stating the obvious. Where else could she go? Pi Tianzi coldly retorted, her clear displeasure towards Molly evident. Molly: Youre the best, none of what you say is nonsense, truly impressive! Ke Xuguang: Alright, come on, its already late. Whats the point of arguing over these things? Molly: She started insulting me first, I didnt want to argue like this. Who knows what this middle-aged lady, who tries to act young, is up to. Though Pi Tianzi had done her makeup well, it couldnt fool Mollys eyes. She found it annoying how Pi Tianzi pretended to be innocent while still attacking her. They were both acting young, so why should she be looked down upon? Pi Tianzi: I dont bother talking to women who sell themselves. Whats with the act of being a pure-hearted university student? Youre selling yourself and still feeling superior. Do you have no shame? Molly: Who are you calling a person who sells themselves? Perhaps youre the one in that line of work. Am I only pretending to be a university student because I wear a white dress? Am I not allowed to look young? And you, at your age, wearing a cutesy pink dressdont you have some mental issues? They say three women make a drama, and Xin Lan didnt need to intervene at all. These two were more than capable of tearing each other apart joyfully. If you want to die, continue arguing. Qi Haolin, annoyed by their bickering, said in a cold and irritable voice. Molly remained silent, and Pi Tianzi smirked at the sight. Qi Haolin thought that women were troublesome, always chattering away. The one who was always quietly present was the best. He couldnt help but glance at Xin Lan, and they locked eyes. Xin Lan mouthed something to him. Idiot. Xin Lan looked down on Qi Haolin. He was even worse than the previous two. The first one played with emotions and left the host to die without helping. The second one used her and then discarded her, even humiliating her in the process. And this one, well, he was a combination of both. He played with emotions first, didnt break up even if he lost interest, let the original host support him, living a life of freeloading, eating and drinking at the original hosts expense. Then, he kicked the original host aside and took away all of her savings, bringing the original host to this kind of place to meet her end, ultimately torturing and killing her. He was truly the scum of scums. CH 47 Great Demon King 06 Qi Haolin only saw Xin Lans lips move, but he couldnt make out what she was saying. He felt that Xin Lan was only expressing her fear, and his expression became gentler. As a low-level entertainment journalist and part-time paparazzo, Ren Difei understood Xin Lans lip movements. He gave a strange look at Qi Haolin and decided to keep his distance from him. Someone who gets scolded as an idiot by the boss lady is undoubtedly a cannon fodder character. Better to make preparations in advance. Feng Xinyus diary entries are not many; for an elementary school student, writing two or three lines in a diary daily is considered good enough. And Feng Xinyus entries are even simpler, just expressing her emotions. Whether she is happy or unhappy today, whether its sunny or raining, thats how it goes for several pages. Just like her sketchbook had a turning point, theres something unusual happening in her diary as well. For several pages, she expressed her anger, frustration, and sadness. Xin Lan noticed that several sheets of paper were even crumpled, indicating that tears had once fallen on them. What was truly shocking was the diarys last entry. On that page, the words bad person were written all over it. Crammed together in a dense and disorderly manner, it revealed the childs restless inner world. So, this is a story about a family of three, lets sort it out. As the one who understood all the tricks inside, Ren Difei had the privilege to speak first. After he spoke, everyones attention focused on him. We saw the photos, and inside, there were only the mother and the daughter. A family photo was hidden at the back, blocked by another picture. From the findings in the kitchen, theres a contradiction. If it was the mother living with the child, why would there be so many traces of fast food? But the presence of vegetables in the kitchen clearly shows that someone was preparing to cook. Sheng Lifan: Is it possible that only the father and the child live in this house? The father cant cook, so they order fast food. Also, the childs messy room could be a reason; no mother would leave her childs room uncleaned. The childs parents got divorced, and then the mother came to visit the child, so she brought many groceries to cook. Thats why there are only photos of the mother and the child in the album, to help the child remember her? Pi Tianzi: It sounds reasonable, but if we follow your explanation and assume that the childs father wanted her to remember her mother, so he displayed the photos, then why didnt he put up a family photo? Wouldnt that help the child remember they were a family of three? Why hide the family photo within one of the pictures? Molly: Why cant it be that the childs mother cant cook, so she orders fast food, and the childs father comes to cook? The childs mother might be too busy to clean the room, which explains why there are only photos of the child and the mother. Hiding the family photo might be because she doesnt want the child to see it, but deep down, she still cherishes those memories. The divorce is certain, and perhaps the childs father did something to hurt the mother, which led to this situation. Ke Xuguang: If I take care of my daughter, I wouldnt want her to eat fast food every day, and I wouldnt only show her photos of her mother. I would definitely show her photos of the whole family, so I think what she said makes sense. Ke Xuguang pointed at Molly and mentioned the words daughter, and even the ferocious expression of the middle-aged man softened quite a bit. Molly was recognized and looked smugly at Pi Tianzi. Qi Haolin: Theres still one more question here. If its the mother and the daughter living together and they have issues with the childs father, why are there still many mens clothes in the cloakroom? Ren Difei: Maybe they didnt have time to tidy up? From what weve gathered from the childs situation, the breakdown of the couples relationship is a fact, and no matter if the mother or father took care of the child, something definitely happened here. They died, and at least the little girl is dead. Generally, in a story, ghosts dont suddenly scare people. Her appearance at the staircase must have some warning purpose. If she wanted to threaten us, she could have done it earlier. Ren Difei: So, I have reason to believe that she just doesnt want us to go upstairs. The reason for not letting us go upstairs might be because theres something upstairs, or its to keep us on the ground floor. If this isnt a simple supernatural story but a mystery to be solved, should we find out her cause of death and the culprit who killed her? Xin Lan tapped her fingers on the sofa, breaking free from the groups discussion, indeed, she could analyze many things. The truth is similar to what Ren Difei said. They have indeed deciphered this layer of secrets, and obtaining the key is the way to go upstairs. If Xin Lan came alone, there wouldnt be such a hassle. She could directly confront the little ghost from last night, ask her how she died and who did it. There would be no need to waste time analyzing things here. Qi Haolins expression showed some fluctuations in his eyes after listening to Ren Difeis words, as if pondering something. Qi Haolin: If we are guessing the culprit, then is it her father or her mother? Ke Xuguang: Theres no reason to suspect them. If the culprit is the parents, there should be a motive, right? Tigers wont eat their own cubs. As a father, Ke Xuguang cant imagine hurting his daughter, especially if he has done something wrong and caused the family to break apart, he would feel guilty and wouldnt harm her. Pi Tianzi: The bad person mentioned in the childs diary should refer to her parents, right? She might have developed a hateful emotion towards them due to their broken relationship. Usually, when parents divorce, children can feel abandoned. Sheng Lifan: So, why did she die, and who killed her? Good question, everyone has been discussing this all along. Ren Difei: Lets continue searching for clues. There must be clues hidden somewhere here, even small things can serve as hints. Ren Difei is no longer dwelling on why there were no sudden events last night. Perhaps it was because the lady boss encountered some trouble and got possessed. However, he hasnt figured out the connection between the lady boss and this incident. Could she be the mastermind behind all this? The room remained dim as always, and the crystal chandelier above emitted its light. Xin Lan got up and went to the childs room. The door was left wide open by the person who had just entered. As soon as she entered, she saw many toys scattered on the floor, making it difficult to walk around. There were snack crumbs on the bed, and candy scattered among the toys. The little girls toys were mostly dolls like cloth dolls or Barbie dolls, and those were the ones scattered on the floor. Xin Lan noticed one Barbie doll, with its arms and legs detached, lying there with only half of its body intact, but the smile on its face remained unchanged. The wallpaper in the room had marks of scribbles and drawings, which was normal as most kids love drawing on their walls. However, what was abnormal was that the things drawn on the wall couldnt be called drawings at all; they were just messy lines and circles overlapping each other, filled with a sense of venting. Xin Lan opened the childs wardrobe and found a shredded dress hidden at the back. She suddenly recalled what the little ghost said last night, repeatedly mentioning Mom said. It indicated that she was someone who listened to her mother or had a good relationship with her. However, when she complained last night, she also mentioned the bad person. The cause of death should be related to fire, whether it was the thick smoke, the smell of burning in the master bedroom, or the self-combusting photos, everything was related to fire. The large patch of red in the sketchbook indicated blood, or perhaps flames. Xin Lan wanted to try going upstairs, perhaps she could encounter the little ghost in the staircase and have a chance to question her. Otherwise, she would feel bad for the little ghosts words last night, where she complained about being so angry but unable to find a target. As Xin Lan turned around, she suddenly slammed on the brakes, finding herself just a few centimeters away from a man. Her brow furrowed with disgust. If she hadnt reacted quickly, she might have bumped into this mans arms. The mere thought was nauseating. Qi Haolin, seeing Xin Lans unexpected expression, thought he had scared her. Are you okay? Xin Lan didnt want to respond, trying hard to restrain the urge to strangle the man right then and there. Whats wrong? Are you scared? Its all my fault, I shouldnt have brought you here. If you have any self-awareness, stay away from me. Otherwise, she wasnt sure if she could bear the already crumbling character setting. Lan Lan, dont be angry. Qi Haolin took a step forward, wanting to grab Xin Lans hand, but she evaded him. I know youre scared of the current situation, but I will protect you. We will survive together. Did you bring any food in your bag? Qi Haolin showed his previous gentle smile to Xin Lan, which might have confused the original owner, but Xin Lan only felt that this person had an inflated ego. On what basis did he think the original owner would rely on him after going through so much? Well, the truth was that the original owner indeed would. In that previous environment, the original owner had no other choice but to rely on her ex-boyfriend, who brought her here. She was weak and timid, so in the end, not only the things she brought were consumed, but she ended up being consumed too. Even if theres food, its mine, not yours. Stay away from me. Qi Haolins expression remained unchanged, looking at the woman in front of him with disbelief. Was this the same silly and naive girl he had deceived before? Why did she seem like a completely different person now? How could it be possible? She loved him so much, even if she discovered something, she would willingly stay by his side. If he hadnt initiated the breakup, this woman would probably continue to accompany him. Now, he wanted her to stay away from him? How could it be? Lan Lan, can you forgive me? Qi Haolin still wanted to approach her, but the moment he tried to grab Xin Lans wrist, she grabbed his collar and fiercely kicked him in the stomach. Cant you understand human language? I told you to stay the f*ck away from me, do you understand? Xin Lan usually didnt use foul language, but sometimes, for some self-righteous and disgusting people, using such terms was the only way she could make them realize how detestable they were. Trying to spare his dog life for a few more days, yet hes still rushing to seek death? CH 48 Great Demon King 07 Xin Lans kick was extremely heavy, and Qi Haolin almost vomited blood. He looked in astonishment at the girl in front of him who was grabbing his collar and retracted her foot while scolding him. For a moment, he couldnt recover his senses. The pain in his body made him acknowledge a fact C he had actually been beaten by Xin Lan. If someone had told him before that he would be treated like this by Xin Lan in the future, he would absolutely never have believed it. How could that be possible? Thats Xin Lan, the woman who used to be innocent, weak, and easily deceived, the woman who would only shed tears when wronged, too afraid to talk back, and could only endure silently. Xin Lan let go of him and shook her hand in disgust. She really couldnt stand people like him, with a look on his face that seemed to say, You still love me for sure. It was absolutely nauseating. If youve done something wrong, you should have some self-awareness. You cant be so shameless, you know? Xin Lan sincerely hoped that after slapping Qi Haolins left cheek today, he wouldnt turn his right cheek for her to hit again. In case she lost control and didnt deliver enough retribution, it would affect her final evaluation and salary. Xin Lan used to not care about this, but after expanding the virtual space with Zero Nine this time, she had to care. No matter when, currency is always useful. Qi Haolin opened his mouth to say something, but when he saw Ren Difei suddenly appear at the door, he swallowed his words. Almost everyone searched the place thoroughly and finally gathered in the living room. Molly took out an apple she brought and took a bite. Others also brought their own food, but Ren Difei looked at one and then another. Ren Difei: Hey, why did you all bring food? Arent we here to play? Molly: When you go out to play, dont you bring fruits and snacks? Ren Difei: I thought I could make it back in a day, so I didnt bring anything. Molly: Oh, too bad, youll be hungry then. Qi Haolin, Pi Tianzi, and Shen Lifan were all eating bread. Ke Xuguang brought instant noodles, but there was no hot water here, and even if there was, he didnt dare to use it, so he simply sprinkled the seasoning pack and ate it dry. Now, an important problem became evident C food. Theres no possibility of having food here. Maybe, if they arent killed by ghosts, they will starve to death first. So, in the original story, the original host was gradually cut and eaten by Qi Haolin. Hunger can drive people to do crazy and irrational things. When one is extremely hungry, theres almost nothing they wouldnt do. But it doesnt mean that such behavior is justified. In the original plot, Qi Haolin had already decided to use the original host as a reserve food source on the second day. This wasnt a decision made under extreme circumstances; it was genuinely twisted. Xin Lan sneered in her heart. She had to settle every single matter one by one, without exception. Ren Difei swallowed hard, holding his stomach in distress. There were some leftovers on the dining table, but he didnt dare to eat them. That piece of meat, which looked intact but smelled bad, already indicated a problem. Who knows how long it had been left there? In case someone didnt die from the supernatural events but from eating spoiled food, it would be extremely painful. Of course, he also didnt want to die from supernatural events. Seeing his appearance, Xin Lan handed her bread to him. Ren Difei was extremely shocked, and the others were surprised as well, especially Qi Haolin, who had a very unpleasant expression and glared at Ren Difei, as if burning with anger. When Ren Difei received the bread, his hands were trembling. It was the bread given by the Lady Boss! Does this mean he successfully buttered up to someone powerful? The reason Xin Lan gave the bread was that the original host brought many small snacks like bread, but she wanted to eat meat. Zero Nine: Host, wait another half minute, the fried chicken will be ready soon, and theres also ice cream. Ill make you a chicken roll! Xin Lan nodded in satisfaction. Why eat small bread when theres meat to eat? Zero Nine, wearing an apron, was busy in the kitchen. This silent device seemed very useful; at least the host didnt complain about the sizzling sound of frying in her mind. Seeing the lack of food in this world, Zero Nine thought that after she left this world, she could still buy some fresh food or other things to ensure that the host could always eat delicious food! After giving out several small breads, Xin Lan also handed a small bottle of probiotics to Ren Difei. Ren Difei was almost moved to tears. If he dared to get closer and sit on the same sofa with Xin Lan, he would definitely lean over and hug her. The other people looked at the two of them with strange expressions, especially the other girls present, including Qi Haolin, who had just been kicked by Xin Lan. After everyone finished eating, they discussed what they had discovered. Shen Lifan: In the shoe cabinet over there, there are mens leather shoes, womens high heels, and childrens shoes. Also, there are shoes for taking off at the entrance, giving the feeling that a couple might be living here together. Molly: I checked the dressing table in the bedroom. There were mostly womens cosmetics, but there was also a bottle of mens cologne. If it werent for the inappropriate occasion, Molly would have sighed at how those were all the brands she wanted to own. The woman who lived in this house seemed to be living such a good life, almost like her ideal life as a wealthy lady. Its a pity that she was no longer here. Ren Difei: Although the house seems a bit messy, it doesnt look like its inhabited by just one person. Some of the clues we found earlier are conflicting with what we see here. Qi Haolin leaned back on the sofa without saying anything, calculating this information in his mind. The two pairs of shoes at the entrance, the leather shoes and high heels in the shoe cabinet, the leftover takeout on the table, the fast-food boxes in the trash bin, half-cut meat on the chopping board, a large bag of vegetables, mens cologne on the dressing table, clothes in the wardrobe, only two peoples photo albums, hidden pictures of them together, burning photos, a defaced wedding picture, a little girls shredded dress, diaries and sketchbooks documenting different moods When all these pieces were put together, what kind of story did they tell? Each person fell into deep thought. Xin Lan stood up and walked towards the right. Where are you going? Molly asked loudly. The bathroom. Xin Lan walked in the direction of the bathroom and closed the door. This bathroom had two levels; below the steps, there was a sink, and an empty space housed a washing machine, separated from the shower area by frosted glass. The glass door was closed. After activating the Absolute Domain with Zero Nines help, Xin Lan began to eat the fried chicken and drink the cola. The Absolute Domain was a shielding function that isolated all sounds and smells within a one-meter radius, making it an ideal place for private conversations. After finishing the fried chicken and cola, Xin Lan wiped her mouth and left the bathroom. As soon as she pushed open the door, she sensed that something was wrong. The faint mist filled the air again, just like last night. Suddenly, the voice of a child came from within the mist, getting closer. Xin Lan remained in place, but she felt that something around her had changed. The little ghost from last night ran past her as if not seeing her, heading to the bedroom door and starting to knock on it. Mommy, Mommy, can you play with me today? Mommy doesnt have time, Xinyu, be a good girl and play with your toys in your room. A beautiful woman, meticulously dressed and carrying a handbag, walked out of the room, appearing ready to go out. Mommy, are you going out again? Yes, if you get hungry, remember to order takeout, Mommys leaving now. The little girl standing there wanted to say something more, but she saw her mother had already passed her and walked away. Bad person. The little girl watched her mothers departing figure with an expressionless face and muttered a sentence. She returned to her own room, and Xin Lan noticed that the room was not messy at all, completely different from what she had seen earlier. Even if I tidy up, Mommy wont praise me anyway. The little girl pouted, picked up the stuffed toy beside her, and threw it on the ground. She even vented her frustration by stomping on it a couple of times. She began to destructively wreck the room, messing up all the neatly arranged toys. The Barbie doll that was originally on the windowsill was pulled down by her, and with a gloomy expression, she started to disassemble its limbs. After disassembling only half of it, she impatiently threw it aside. She took her watercolor pen and ran towards the bedroom. Xin Lan took a closer look at the man and woman in the wedding photo and raised an eyebrow. The woman was indeed the same person, but the man was different from the one in the family photo seen in the album. The little girl struggled to climb onto the bedside, although it wasnt easy to step on it. She reached out, unable to see clearly, and made a mess. You all dont want to accompany me, youre all bad people. The little girl muttered until she finished venting, and then she sat on the big bed. Suddenly, she turned her head and looked in Xin Lans direction. Her body was facing forward, but her head twisted in an almost 180-degree arc, grinning at Xin Lan. Sister, will you come and play with me? Most people would be startled, but Xin Lan remained very calm, standing there with her arms crossed. How did you die? She asked straightforwardly. Im not telling you, hehehe. The little girl stood up and made a spooky face at Xin Lan. Come and catch me, if you catch me, Ill tell you. The little girl ran outside, and at that moment, a raging fire suddenly broke out. She ran towards the flames and waved at Xin Lan from there. The game has finally begun! Come quickly! The fire grew larger and spread around Xin Lan. She could even feel the scorching heat. In the midst of the flames, the voice of the little girl drifted farther and farther away. Xin Lan remained calm and bent down to touch the flames. Her palms felt extremely hot, but there were no burn marks left. A thin mist gradually enveloped the surroundings, and Xin Lan found herself back in front of the bathroom. From somewhere, a violin melody started to play, beautiful yet carrying a hint of melancholy. Zero Nine: Its a famous violin piece called Song of the Wanderer.'' Following the direction of the music, Xin Lan walked ahead. In this foggy environment, everything became blurred; she couldnt see the furniture or walls. The scene in front of her gradually became clear. A girl in a white dress was playing the violin by the French windows. That face seemed to have been meticulously crafted by God, exuding astonishing beauty. Xin Lan felt like she had seen her somewhere before but couldnt recall where. The moons gentle radiance bathed the girl, making her appear like a moonlit fairy. As the music came to an end, the girl looked at Xin Lan with a smile on her face. Welcome to the Game of the Brave. My violin and I will accompany you until you succeed or perish. My name is Yu Wan Yan. Im gifting you this violin. Once you start playing it, youll understand its purpose. The game has officially begun, and you dont have much time. Find the key, and you can go upstairs. The exit is on the rooftop. Only five people can reach the second floor, three can reach the third floor, and one person can reach the rooftop. Work hard to survive. In the moonlight, Yu Wan Yans smile became somewhat eerie. CH 49 Song of the Wanderer Arc Great Demon King 08 After Yu Wan Yan finished this line, she waited for the woman in front of her, who had a beautiful appearance but a pale face, to show a frightened expression. However, half a minute passed, and the person in front still had a pensive look, as if not afraid at all. The smile on her face stiffened. This wasnt what they had agreed upon. Why isnt this person afraid? Xin Lan was searching in the original hosts memories to see if this part of the content existed, but the memories were too vague. She remembered some things before coming here, but the experiences here were already blurry. Therefore, Xin Lan couldnt determine whether this particular scene in the original plot existed or not. Now, we have to talk about the composition of the mission world. They, as task performers, go to various mission worlds to carry out their tasks, and these worlds are all parallel mappings. Sometimes, multiple missions exist in one world. For example, while she is playing some game in this small villa, in another world, there might be a four-hundred-people campus game. These different scenarios do not pose a threat to each other, so they can coexist peacefully. When her consciousness enters the original hosts body, she can access the hosts memories. Therefore, the search for memories can only be limited to what the original host remembers. If the original hosts memories are sealed, unclear, or lost, then she wont know what happened. The subsequent plot is captured from the perspective of another important character. For instance, if she slaps someones face, and the other important character is a scumbag, the subsequent plot will simply inform the task performer of what happens in the world from the scumbags perspective after the original hosts death. However, there are specific points where the plot is captured, and once an important plot point is passed, the capture point ends. The task performer must leave the mission world before that capture point arrives. The first mission worlds capture point is leaving the campus. The second mission worlds capture point is the crowning of the new emperor. As for this world, the capture point is leaving this place. Xin Lan was still lost in thought, while Yu Wan Yan was studying her. Xin Lan felt a presence approaching, and when she looked up, she saw a beautiful face. Whats the use of your instrument? Isnt it silly to carry a violin around during a fight? Its barely passable as a weapon. When you play it, you can control the wind. Yu Wan Yan replied, running her fingers over the violins body and fixing her gaze on Xin Lan. Can I choose not to have it? The person in front of Xin Lan felt strange, not dangerous or threatening. In this game, the sudden appearance of this assisting presence was truly eerie. You dont want my violin? Yu Wan Yans body floated in mid-air, pondering on what to do. She had discussed it with the others, each person choosing a target. But if Xin Lan refused to use her item, how could she survive? But you should have heard what I just said, only one person can go to the heavenly platform. This elimination rule was necessary, and Yu Wan Yan didnt want the prey she chose to die so quickly. Do other people also have items bestowed upon them? Yu Wan Yan nodded, her interest in Xin Lans eyes growing. Xin Lan met her gaze and felt a sense of familiarity, just like the look Zero Nine had when she saw potato chips. But this ghosts gaze gave her a pure feeling, as bright as moonlight, making her conflicted. If others also have items like this, then they should also know the rules of the game. Not only do they need to find the key, but they also need to eliminate people. Moreover, the activity area here is much smaller than the school. Xin Lan pondered for a moment but still accepted the violin and bow. This prop is really large and very inconvenient. Ill follow you, so you have to persevere, okay? Yu Wan Yans eyes curved like crescent moons. Originally, she wanted to choose someone stronger because they usually last longer. However, the moment she saw this person, she decided to choose her. An inexplicable impulse filled Yu Wan Yan with excitement. She must taste delicious. The surrounding mist suddenly thickened, and Xin Lan opened her eyes to find herself sitting on a sofa. But she clearly saw the little girl at the bathroom door and then inexplicably found herself in front of a bright floor-to-ceiling window. In this first level, she didnt see any floor-to-ceiling windows. Everyone else also opened their eyes, but this time, the expressions on their faces were no longer as confused and fearful as before. Instead, they showed a complex and indescribable emotion. After looking around, Xin Lan noticed that everyone was holding something that seemed unusual. Besides Ren Difeis glasses and Mollys necklace, Pi Tianzi had a lace parasol, Ke Xuguang had a cane, and Sheng Lifan surprisingly held a bottle of red wine. However, the most eye-catching one was Qi Haolins. He was wearing a hat, a green hat. In this situation, Xin Lans violin didnt seem so peculiar anymore. When she saw that green hat, Xin Lan couldnt help but laugh, though it was somewhat inappropriate. While everyone else had serious expressions, Xin Lans laughter stood out. It suits you well Xin Lan complimented jokingly. Xin Lan, the original host, doesnt know if Qi Haolin has ever been cheated on (greened) by him. She only knows that the original host was deeply in love with him, while the scumbag disregarded her. Qi Haolins already unpleasant complexion grew even darker due to Xin Lans words, and he tightly gripped the hat in his hand. He didnt reply, and naturally, Xin Lan didnt say anything more. Everyone fell into deep silence, even the usually active Ren Difei didnt utter a word. He looked at Xin Lan, who remained calm and composed, and his judgment wavered again. He began to feel that this person might be the mastermind behind all this. Perhaps, this was not just a simple supernatural story but a survival game accompanied by ghosts and monsters. They wouldnt be killed by ghosts but by others of the same kind, or they might end up killing each other. Whether this was good news or bad news, no one knew. If it were such a game, how could Xin Lan be the boss? Yet, she was still able to laugh, showing no signs of fear. But no matter what, only one person can survive. Why is nobody moving? Yu Wan Yan appeared quietly beside Xin Lan, looking at these motionless individuals with confusion. Xin Lan didnt respond; she glanced at the others who seemed to neither see nor hear anything. Getting up, Xin Lan took her violin and walked to the right. Her movements were unhurried, as if she were not in a life-or-death situation but preparing for a performance. Do all the others have a ghost by their side? Of course not. They are hidden inside the things they were given. They can only come out when those things are used. Yu Wan Yan smiled mischievously, and Xin Lan gave her a faint glance before leaning against the wall by the stairs. Seeing Xin Lan fall silent again, Yu Wan Yan felt a bit gloomy in her heart. This person has no curiosity, making it difficult for her to perform well. Xin Lan looked at the pitch-black second floor and narrowed her eyes. She could deduce that the ghost by her side should be quite powerful; otherwise, it wouldnt have said that the other ghosts couldnt come out, implying that she could. Xin Lan tightened her grip on the violin, contemplating the possibility of using it as a weapon to strike. How could those ghosts be so kind as to lend their belongings to humans, especially in such a one-on-one situation? Using powers that dont belong to oneself always comes with a price. People who go up without a key will be killed. Yu Wan Yan kindly reminded. Killed by whom? The rules. Do you want me to survive and get out of here? Of course. Xin Lan locked eyes with her, and that gaze seemed to pierce into her heart. Dont look at me like that. Yu Wan Yan couldnt help but reach out and cover Xin Lans eyes. When people look at her like this, it makes her want to devour them even more. Her cold hand covered Xin Lans eyes, and in response, Xin Lan grabbed her wrist and pulled her hand away. The warm sensation was somewhat enchanting, and Yu Wan Yan leaned closer, smelling the scent on Xin Lans neck, unable to resist extending her tongue to lick it. A cold and sticky sensation swept over Xin Lans neck, causing her to tightly grip the wrist in her hand and create some distance between them. Stay away from me. Xin Lan let go of Yu Wan Yans wrist and wiped the spot where she had licked. If Xin Lan didnt restrain herself, she would have already turned around and smacked Yu Wan Yan with the violin. That feeling on her neck wouldnt go away, and Xin Lan couldnt help but wipe it again. Seeing her reaction, Yu Wan Yan was not pleased. She had only licked it, not bitten into it. How can we get the key? You should ask that little ghost. Yu Wan Yan shrugged, indicating that she didnt know either. Do you know what the others items are for? Xin Lan could somewhat understand the necklace and glasses, but what about the lace parasol and the cane? The bottle of red wine and the green hat seemed even stranger. The cane belongs to Grandpa. He likes to lecture whenever he can. Make sure you dont get hit on the head with it; youll be dazed for at least an hour. The lace parasol belongs to the doll; I dont know what its for, but she really loves dolls. The person she chooses would make a great doll. Frola is a peculiar witch. Her necklace has the power to enchant people. She loves beautiful people the most and would peel off their skin to make her collection. Originally, she wanted to choose you, but I snatched you away. The girl seemed to be bragging about something worthy of pride, but the content wasnt particularly pleasant. The famous detective has a pair of glasses that, when worn, supposedly allows them to see through the essence of things. I dont quite understand it. The witch likes to drink, and her alcohol has the ability to create illusions. She enjoys using people as containers to brew her drinks, though I dont know how she does it. Lastly, theres Hazelnut. She is a ghost with power second only to mine, so be careful. The green hat? Xin Lan raised an eyebrow. Yes, when Hazelnut was alive, she was always cheated on by her partners. Each relationship ended with her being cheated on, and after being cheated on by ten consecutive boyfriends, something happened to her. Thats why she particularly dislikes scumbags. This girls past sounds quite tragic. What is her ability? She can summon various female ghosts. Actually, that sounds like the most powerful ability, doesnt it? Compared to this one, the ones before are all weak. Not really. Mine is more powerful. If he gets eliminated, all the female ghosts he summoned, including Hazelnut herself, will come out and devour him. At this moment, a scream echoed from the living room. CH 50 Great Demon King 09 Xin Lan couldnt believe that just a few minutes after she left, something happened over there. When she walked into the living room, everyone was standing far apart, and the sharp tip of Pi Tianzis small lace umbrella had pierced Mollys chest. The miserable scream came from Molly herself, and by her side, Ke Xuguang was holding a cane, looking somewhat bewildered. Pi Tianzi pulled out her umbrella, and blood splattered everywhere. Blood also stained the lace umbrella, dripping down bit by bit. People like you should just die sooner. Pi Tianzis face remained expressionless, but her tone sounded delighted. Molly, clutching her wound, collapsed onto the sofa and looked towards Ke Xuguang. He raised his cane and attacked Pi Tianzi. Pi Tianzi used the umbrella to block his attack, but there was still a significant difference in strength between a man and a woman. She evaded in a somewhat panicked and embarrassed manner, quickly opening her own umbrella. There were still dried bloodstains on the umbrellas surface, and at the moment she opened it, they shook off and fell to the ground. The white umbrellas surface instantly became stained with blood, and Pi Tianzi held the umbrella, leisurely floating in mid-air. Now, Ke Xuguang had no way to attack her. So, this is the function of her umbrella. Yu Wan Yan murmured as she drifted behind Xin Lan. It seems quite practical. Xin Lan replied, rubbing her chin. It could be used as a weapon and, if necessary, for escape. My possessions are more powerful than hers. I dont believe it; try using it! Xin Lan glanced at the violin and bow in her hands. Although they werent large, holding them was still inconvenient, and she didnt want to use supernatural items without a good reason. Seeing Xin Lan only holding the items without showing much interest, Yu Wan Yan felt somewhat disappointed. Clearly, her violin is incredibly powerful, and she acts all high and mighty, doesnt she? Mollys face contorted in pain, and due to her severe injuries, her complexion turned deathly pale. Sweat dripped from her forehead, showing her obvious agony. She had been stabbed through by that umbrella, and in her current condition, there was practically no hope for her survival. No one dared to accuse or sympathize with her. Pi Tianzi floated in the air, looking at Molly with great satisfaction. I guess you probably forgot about me long ago, right? Of course, someone like you, who knows how many times youve been the third wheel, how could you remember the time you tried to steal my partner? Pi Tianzi looked at Molly, who was in agony and near death, and spoke with a hint of mockery. Mollys blood had already stained Pi Tianzis palm as she pressed it against her. The bloodstains stood out conspicuously against her white dress. Someone like you deserves to be cheated on. Even if I die now, so what? At least I once lived without regrets. Unlike you, a pitiful creature. Molly struggled to breathe and spoke in broken sentences. She probably knew there was no hope for her and stopped fighting, just staring at Pi Tianzi. Why does this woman have such a strong animosity towards me from the very beginning? But I didnt pay much attention to it; there have been plenty of girls who dislike me. Poor thing? I think youre the pitiful one here, always engaging in shady activities, being despised by everyone. Your mother must have been cursed for eight lifetimes to give birth to such a despicable person like you. As Pi Tianzi looked at this person on the verge of death, her heart was filled with the satisfying pleasure of revenge. Yet, this person dared to mock her. She was just a high-class mistress, always being someone elses lover, the other woman, and yet, she managed to feel superior. According to Pi Tianzi, if someone had to wear the green hat, it shouldnt have been on that man; he was too good for this person. Xin Lan glanced at the clearly decided situation, preparing to leave, but at that moment, Molly let out an even more agonizing cry. Her body suddenly curled up, and her long hair stuck to her face due to sweat. No! Save me, please, I beg you, save me Molly cried out in despair, feeling the pain of her skin tearing apart, pleading with everyone for help. She let out a sharp scream, one that could almost pierce through a persons eardrums. She collapsed onto the sofa, frantically covering her face. Her hand still bore bloodstains, and amidst her frantic movements, her face had been stained with a lot of blood, making it look particularly horrifying. But that wasnt the most terrifying part; the next moment brought an acid-inducing scene. Mollys skin seemed to be torn off by someone, bit by bit, from her face. Everyone could clearly see the exposed flesh inside, causing a surge of nausea in their stomachs. Sheng Lifan and the others couldnt help but cover their mouths, desperately trying to control their urge to vomit. The scene was simply too disgusting. Amidst Mollys continuous screams of pain and agony, her skin was being peeled off bit by bit. The face without skin, only flesh, was almost nightmare-inducing. Xin Lans brow also furrowed tightly as she turned away. In the end, Molly was so weak that she couldnt even let out a scream. She knelt on the ground, seemingly struggling to breathe. Her wound was already enough to cause her death, and now she had to endure this gruesome skinning alive. Not long after, she stopped moving altogether. It appeared she had died. The exposed underlying tissues and the thick scent of blood in the air made the others look at each other warily. This is no longer a time for everyone to cooperate and search for clues. Although one person has already died, to proceed to the next level, another person must also die. Each person has their own thoughts, and Xin Lan decided to return to the stairwell. So, you need to try your best not to be eliminated, or else Ill devour you. Yu Wan Yan encouraged Xin Lan, trying to boost her morale. If I can get out of here, you can too, right? Of course! Otherwise, why would we all hope that our prey can win? But even if we lose, it wont be a total loss. Yu Wan Yan openly shared their plan with Xin Lan. If they win, both of them can happily get out of here. If they lose, Yu Wan Yan can still have this person, which is definitely a win-win situation. She wasnt afraid to reveal this because she believed that after hearing her words, Xin Lan would be even more determined to stand with her and work together to find a way out. Where do you come from, and why did you appear here? I dont know. We just arrived, and then a voice told us that we should do this. Do you still remember what happened before? I dont remember, but whats the big deal? Im already dead, anyway. Yu Wan Yan wasnt interested in her past memories; she was more interested in the person in front of her. Xin Lan didnt stay alone for long, as footsteps echoed on the stairs. Xin Lan looked at Qi Haolin, who was trying to get closer, and used the violin to keep him at bay. Lan Lan, can you please not be angry? You saw the situation just now. We might as well stick together for now, and I can protect you. Look, besides that woman who has already killed someone, everyone else here is a man. Youre a girl, and what if they target you? Qi Haolin waved his hand, indicating that he meant no harm. At least we had that kind of relationship before. Id rather have others die than see anything happen to you. Lets stick together until we reach the third level, where we have to go to the rooftop. Then we can go our separate ways and compete fairly, how about that? His proposal sounded quite appealing, but it seemed that Qi Haolin still misjudged the situation. It seems that kicking him earlier didnt teach him a lesson after all. Leave my sight within thirty seconds, and I might consider not taking action against you. What a pipe dream! He actually wants her to cooperate with him. He shouldnt think shes unaware of his intentions. He just wants to use her as a backup plan, taking out stronger opponents first and keeping the weaker ones for later, when there are fewer people above. However, Qi Haolin miscalculated. Standing before her is no longer a weak little rabbit but a terrifying demon king. If you dont want to follow me, who do you want to follow? That pretty boy? Look at him, how could he possibly protect you? Dont tell me that after breaking up with me, youve changed your taste. Qi Haolin was already irritable because of the green hat on his head, but he didnt expect Xin Lan to let him go. Her words were sharp and sarcastic, leaving him with a gloomy expression. Seven seconds. Qi Haolin was taken aback. Then realized that Xin Lan was giving him a countdown to leave. Three. Two. One. After the countdown, Xin Lan immediately kicked Qi Haolin down the stairs. Qi Haolin was caught off guard and tumbled down. Xin Lan retracted her foot, feeling annoyed. Why was he so stubborn? She had told him to leave, but he didnt listen. At this point, she really didnt want to beat him to death before reaching the top; he kept coming back for trouble. The kick almost caused internal injuries, and as Qi Haolin rolled down the stairs and collided with the wall, his whole body ached. Qi Haolin stood up, clenched his fists, his eyes slightly bloodshot. He rushed up, intending to drag Xin Lan down. He couldnt tolerate this kind of treatment again; enduring it once was enough. If he endured it again, he would be a coward. Worst case scenario, he would just kill her first, and deal with the rest once they reached the top. Xin Lan grabbed his outstretched hand, twisted it back, and at the same time, kicked Qi Haolin in the lower body, causing him to kneel on the stairs. Fighting on the stairs was not ideal, but Qi Haolin struggled to stand up. Xin Lan, however, held his other arm, wrapped it around his neck, and pulled him back. One foot stomped on his back, exerting heavy pressure on Qi Haolins body. Qi Haolins face was pressed against the stairs, showing a mixture of shock and pain. He couldnt understand how he ended up pinned down by Xin Lan in an instant. Amidst the anger, embarrassment, shock, and surprise, he even forgot about the pain he was experiencing. Especially with Xin Lan still stepping on him, he struggled hard, but she yanked his hair and slammed his head forcefully against the sharp edge of the stair, causing an immediate swelling and bruising on the impacted area. Qi Haolins head also felt dizzy. Ive told you several times, stay away from me, get out of my sight. Why dont you understand plain words? Xin Lan released the hand holding Qi Haolins arm and stomped on his back again. She really didnt want to be so impulsive, but this person really irritated her. Regardless of the final evaluation, she would deal with him first. Even after their recent altercation, there was no sign of the vibrant green hat on Qi Haolins head falling off. Suddenly, Xin Lan felt something and took a few steps back. Taking advantage of the opportunity, Qi Haolin sat up, and next to him stood a long-haired ghost with a veiled face. Kill her. Qi Haolin touched his forehead and looked at Xin Lan with a fierce glare. CH 51 Great Demon King 10 Xin Lan pinched her fingers, unexpectedly finding this scumbag to be so decisive. The troublesome part was that she couldnt kill him so quickly. However, it wasnt a big problem; sometimes, death wasnt the most frightening outcomeit was being alive but worse than dead. The female ghost didnt act hastily; instead, she glanced with apprehension at Yu Wan Yan beside Xin Lan. To be honest, I always felt that the green hat skill was quite tricky. Pick up the violin in your hands; my power resides within it. Hugging her arms, Yu Wan Yan actually wanted to intervene, but they had agreed not to interfere with each others actions when selecting their prey, as that would be unfair. The long-haired ghost pounced forward, and Xin Lan instinctively set down the violin in her hands. She grabbed the ghosts long hair with one hand and pulled back, simultaneously avoiding the ghosts claws. A portion of the female ghosts long hair was pulled apart, revealing eyes with only whites and a mouth with sharp teeth. The ghosts claws were sharp, and the dark greenish-black nails reflected a cold light. Xin Lan stepped back onto a platform, winding the female ghosts long hair around her neck and choking her. Luckily, the ghosts hair was very long, so after choking her neck once, Xin Lan could even bind one of her hands. The female ghost let out a strange howl from her mouth and reached out with her free hand, attempting to grab Xin Lans face. Xin Lan leaned back to dodge, agilely maneuvering around, and delivered a forceful kick to the female ghosts knee pit, causing her to stumble and kneel on the ground. Xin Lan released the hand that was grabbing the ghosts hair and placed both hands on the ghosts head, twisting it forcefully. There was a crisp sound in the air as the ghosts head weakly turned in one direction, and she angrily howled, continuing to pounce toward Xin Lan. Meanwhile, Xin Lan ascended another step, kicking the female ghost down the stairs. Yu Wan Yan was dumbfounded; she had a bad feeling when she saw Xin Lan let go of the violin. She didnt expect Xin Lan to exhibit such a display of tearing the ghost apart with such calmness. So violent and cool! Yu Wan Yan looked at the abandoned violin and bow on the stairs, feeling as if she was worthless in Xin Lans eyes. You Youre not Xin Lan, are you? Qi Haolin watched as Xin Lan tore apart the female ghost with her hands and even knocked down the ghost beside her. He was utterly incredulous. This could definitely not be the Xin Lan he knew. The person in front of him was clearly fearless and composed. The Xin Lan he knew was timid and easily frightened, even by cockroaches. She was more innocent and timid than most girls. If someone scolded her, she would only blush and couldnt retort, silently shedding tears. How could she be the terrifyingly calm woman before him? Xin Lan didnt respond; she looked down at Qi Haolin from a higher position. She descended the stairs step by step, and the sound she made seemed like the gentle tapping of the Grim Reaper on a door. Sharing the same name and surname as the original host always gave her a subtle feeling, especially when the person in front of her raised such a question. The misery belonged to the original host, but the out-of-character (OOC) behavior belonged to her. Anyway, she came here to prove a point, not to beg for survival. Qi Haolin couldnt help but press against the wall, and the female ghost beside him had quietly disappeared. He wanted to run away, but the limited space here left him with nowhere to escape. He looked at the ghost that appeared beside him, seeking help. It was a girl wearing a green hat. Not long ago, this ghost suddenly appeared in front of him, telling him many things and giving him this hat. Its okay, I can lend you many ghosts. If you want to summon them, just call out to them in your heart. Zhen Zhen said with a faint smile, her words laced with temptation. All the other ghosts wanted to borrow their prey to go outside, except for her. She had no liking for the outside world. When she first made her choice, she simply relied on her instincts and picked such a man who seemed to exude the aura of a scumbag. When he put on her hat and she was able to read his memories, she confirmed that he was indeed a scumbag. It would be best to die inside here. It would be even better to summon as many ghosts and monsters as possible before dying. That way, she could make him feel the sensation of being devoured by many ghosts until nothing was left but a skeletal frame. Qi Haolin had an instinctive feeling that this was not benevolent, but it seemed like he had no other choice for now. The Xin Lan in front of him seemed to have transformed, possessing terrifying strength. In an instant, three ghosts appeared. The staircase was too narrow, making it impossible to deploy their full abilities. Xin Lan didnt want to experience what it felt like to be caught by non-human entities. She picked up the violin and the bow, placing them on her shoulder. With your thoughts, this wind will move under your control. Yu Wan Yan immediately spoke upon seeing her belongings being put to use. The melody of the violin played, and the air responded to Xin Lans thoughts, forming a flowing wind wall. Xin Lan didnt ask Zero Nine to find any sheet music; instead, she played the same song Yu Wan Yan had just performed. Song of the Wanderer was not a cheerful and uplifting piece. Xin Lan closed her eyes and, with herself at the center, unleashed a storm. The surrounding winds spun faster and faster, engulfing the approaching female ghosts. The wind cut into their bodies, tearing them apart into wisps of smoke before they could get close. Arent your ghosts a bit useless? Qi Haolin exclaimed in terror, staring at the composed figure beside him. Zhen Zhen wasnt angered by the remark. At present, Yu Wan Yan was indeed stronger than all their ghosts combined. However, the abilities of the person using them also mattered. The items they provided for their preys use were designed to be effective according to the preys own abilities. In other words, if the user was already powerful, using the items provided would naturally make them even more formidable. Zhen Zhen believed that if her green hat were placed on the woman currently playing the violin, the ghosts she summoned would definitely tear apart the nearby prey. Xin Lan opened her eyes and abruptly stopped the storm at a cresting high point, causing the tempest to dissipate. Yu Wan Yan wasnt wrong; this violin was indeed very effective. Including the initial three ghosts, Qi Haolin had already summoned four ghosts. Four ghosts were enough to make him feel utterly miserable. Xin Lan set down the violin, carefully leaning it against the wall. If you want to kill me, lets see if you have the ability to do so, Xin Lan said, rolling up her sleeves to reveal a gracefully slender wrist. Qi Haolin subtly clenched his fist, watching the woman slowly approaching. When Xin Lan reached him, he swiftly threw a punch. The punch carried great force, and there seemed to be a sonic boom as it headed straight for Xin Lans face. Xin Lan raised her hand to catch the punch and retaliated with a punch to Qi Haolins face. Qi Haolins face turned to the side from the impact, and he spat on the ground. His other hand struck back at Xin Lan with a malicious expression. He wasnt a gentle person to begin with, and Xin Lans actions completely ignited his fierceness and madness. The two of them started fighting in this not-so-large space. Qi Haolin was no pushover; like Xin Lan, he didnt focus on defense but rather used a reckless and aggressive approach. Caught off guard, Xin Lan was elbowed in the face, and the pain stimulated her nerves, making her even more excited. She grabbed Qi Haolins neck with one hand and kneed him in the stomach. Qi Haolin winced in pain, and his face turned blue and purple. Xin Lan threw him to the ground, breathing heavily, but her eyes were shining brightly. Stepping on Qi Haolins chest, he trembled, and he grabbed her foot. He tasted the surge of bloody smell in his mouth and tried to stand up again, but he was kicked in the head. He felt a moment of dizziness, his vision darkening for a brief moment. Stand up. Xin Lan said as she kicked Qi Haolin, still not entirely satisfied. This one was truly more durable than the previous two. Lets not even talk about the second one; she hadnt fought him. But this one could take more hits than the first one. The first one went down within a few minutes, but this one managed to hold on, and even hurt her in the process. She touched the still tender spots on her face, and the relentless fighting spirit in her body began to boil again. Qi Haolins body shifted, but he still couldnt stand up from the ground. For a moment, Qi Haolin thought he had gone blind because he couldnt see anything in front of him. However, after a while, his vision gradually became clear, and he saw Xin Lans face. She was saying something, but he couldnt quite hear it clearly. Time seemed to slow down, and everything in front of him felt like a dream. The terrifying game suddenly felt like changing into the ex-girlfriend of another person. Qi Haolin looked at that familiar yet unfamiliar face and couldnt help but feel a sense of realization. Lan Lan He murmured. Xin Lan was amused by his words and kicked Qi Haolins body again. You dont deserve to call me that, Qi Haolin. When people live, they should have some self-respect. Do you even know how sincere you are yourself? Watching women being toyed with by you, are you pleased with yourself? I despise men who live off others, and even more so, those who live off others and still think they are something special. Xin Lan sneered; she had wanted to say these words for a long time. Whether its toying with emotions, deceiving and exploiting, or taking away money, dont they feel any guilt for consuming others like this? Is it because they like someone that they deserve to owe them something? So, is the price to pay money, time, and even life? Looking at Qi Haolin lying on the ground, somewhat incoherent, Xin Lan felt no hint of pity in her heart. Originally, she had planned to find something to break Qi Haolins leg because she wanted to leave him alive until the end, to let him taste the feeling of success being within reach but still powerless to grasp it. Now she changed her mind; she wouldnt break his leg. After all, if he couldnt walk, she would have to drag him up the stairs, which would be too troublesome. Besides, the space to move around in this place was limited, and she had no way to escape from here anyway. Your prey is so fierce; you will definitely succeed in getting out of here. Zhen Zhen exclaimed, having witnessed the entire process. She called out to Yu Wan Yan, feeling strangely pleased to see her prey being overthrown. Yu Wan Yan responded but seemed distracted, gazing at Xin Lans profile with some melancholy. Xin Lan would surely succeed, and getting out meant that Yu Wan Yan wouldnt be able to have Xin Lan all to herself anymore. This realization made her somewhat disheartened, despite the initially joyous occasion. Xin Lan was dangerous and alluring, undoubtedly enticing. CH 52 Great Demon King 11 Xin Lan picked up the violin leaning against the wall and walked into the living room without looking at the person lying unconscious on the ground. Mollys lifeless body had disappeared at some point, leaving only a few traces of blood on the floor to prove that she had once existed. Pi Tianzi had disappeared to an unknown location, while Ren Difei, Ke Xuguang, and Sheng Lifan each took their positions, vigilantly observing each other. Xin Lan emerged calmly and quietly. Apart from a slightly reddened area on her face, there were no visible wounds. Are you okay? Ren Difei spoke up, asking what everyone else had heard too: the sounds of a fight coming from the stairs. But no one dared to go over. Seeing the scene, it seemed that Xin Lan had won. Ren Difei showed no surprise, but Ke Xuguang and Sheng Lifan, who were sitting there, appeared somewhat astonished when they saw Xin Lan coming out. After all, Qi Haolin seemed quite strong, and the commotion from earlier was quite intense. They didnt expect him to be beaten down by a woman. However, they couldnt help but shiver as they remembered Pi Tianzi, who had just started killing without hesitation a couple of minutes ago. What do you think? Xin Lan raised an eyebrow, the obvious fact being that she was unharmed. There have been plenty of people who wanted to kill her, and Qi Haolin was nothing special. Did you take care of him? Ke Xuguang inquired after a moment of silence. On the second floor, only five out of seven people can survive, and one person has already died. If one more person dies, the remaining five can temporarily find the key in peace. Dont target him; his life is now in my hands. You all rely on your own abilities. Why? Werent you just fighting with him? Sheng Lifan couldnt understand why Xin Lan spared Qi Haolins life when they were about to eliminate one more person. If Xin Lan protected Qi Haolin, then one of them would have to die instead. The root of all this trouble was clearly Qi Haolin, the driver, wasnt it? Its true that he should be the one eliminated. If it werent for him posting about this tour online, we wouldnt have come to this place in the first place. And if he hadnt failed to reach the destination in time, how could we have ended up inside this villa? Sheng Lifan pressed on. If you want to kill him, go ahead, but youll have to pass my test first. Xin Lan replied without arguing. The whole situation was Qi Haolins fault; it was a trap designed by him. However, it wasnt entirely his responsibility either. Nine-tenths of the blame was on Qi Haolin, and one-tenth was on themselves. After all, fundamentally speaking, both sides were willing participants; Qi Haolin didnt force them to come. For these people, Qi Haolin deserved to die, and Xin Lan felt he deserved it even more, but the time for that hadnt come yet. Sheng Lifan fell silent, and Xin Lan had only come to inform them of this matter, to prevent anyone from taking action against Qi Haolin before she had a chance to deal with him. She returned to the right side, and footsteps sounded behind her. Um Can I, um follow you for now? I can help you find clues for the key. Ren Difei softly inquired, determined to survive for as long as possible, even though he knew only one person could eventually make it out alive. The items he obtained werent combat-oriented like the others, and he wasnt skilled in fighting to begin with. Ke Xuguang, the strong bald man sitting in the living room, was formidable and robust. If Ren Difei tried to attack him, he would have no chance of defending himself. As you wish. Xin Lan replied and walked to the master bedroom, pushing the door open. Zero Nine: Pi Tianzi is in the little girls bedroom. Xin Lan sat on the bed in the bedroom, instructing Ren Difei to drag the seemingly half-dead Qi Haolin inside. The peculiar smell in this room was the most prominent, and it seemed to be the point of ignition for the fire. Were there any items in this room that could cause a fire? Xin Lan looked around; there were no candles or anything similar, so it was very likely that someone intentionally set the fire. She gazed at the wedding photo with a smudged face. In the previous haze, she couldnt clearly see the man in the wedding photo, but now, it was evident that the man in that photo was not the same person as the one they found in the hidden photo album. Could it be that the little girls mother remarried, taking her daughter with her? The hidden photo was actually of the original family of three, and then the mother remarried, which would explain the discrepancies in the photo album and wedding pictures. It would also account for the sudden change in the little girls diary and sketchbook. However, if that were the case, how could the fast food on the dining table and the dishes in the kitchen be explained? Ren Difei put on his glasses, and just as he turned to face Xin Lan, she saw something strange. On the glasses, there were a pair of blood-red pupils. The visual effect was somewhat indescribable. Those eyes looked fierce, but Ren Difeis expression was somewhat lifeless, which made for an odd combination. Whats wrong? Ren Difei nervously inquired as he noticed Xin Lan looking at him. Can you touch your glasses frame? Ren Difei, puzzled, touched the frame, and Xin Lan couldnt help but feel like he was deliberately blinding himself. He probably didnt know that wearing these glasses would have such an effect; otherwise, he wouldnt have looked so bewildered. Whats wrong? Its nothing, just that the visual effect is a bit subtle. Xin Lan replied with a nuanced expression. Ren Difei lowered his hand, feeling that asking further might not lead to anything good, so he decided to drop the subject. The world he saw through the glasses was completely different from what he had seen just a moment ago. This place was a burned-down ruin, and Ren Difei could even feel the heat from the flames and the unpleasant smell in the air. He walked to the doorway, crouched down, and sniffed. Xin Lan stood there, observing his actions, while Qi Haolin on the ground seemed to be recovering, emitting a low groan. Qi Haolin propped himself up and sat up, still feeling a bit dizzy in the head. When he saw Xin Lan standing there with a somewhat ambiguous smile, the pain from his wounds intensified. He moved his lips, wanting to call out Xin Lans name, but immediately restrained himself under her piercing gaze. Arent you going to kill me? His voice was hoarse, and his once arrogant face now looked somewhat dejected. Qi Haolins question intrigued Yu Wan Yan and Miss Green Hat, who were nearby. Im already eager to let the ghosts he summoned backfire on him. Youre prey despised him, no? Why doesnt she make a move? Instead, she even declared that shell protect him? At first, Zhen Zhen thought that during the time she spent under the stairs, her prey would have been eliminated. However, she didnt expect that the person not only didnt finish the job but actually walked out and claimed to be protected by someone else. It was simply incomprehensible. I have no idea. Yu Wan Yan shrugged, as long as Xin Lan was happy, it didnt matter to her. I wont kill you. Qi Haolin was taken aback by her words. Not killing, for now. Qi Haolin said with a restrained expression, clenching his fists quietly. Xin Lan saw his reaction and sneered inwardly. She wasnt afraid of his tricks; if he had the ability, he could do whatever he wanted. If he gave up and didnt resist, then he wouldnt be Qi Haolin anymore. He dare torture the original host to death with each cut, and she dare step on him, one step at a time, until he lost all hope. When Ren Difei saw that Qi Haolin had woken up, he didnt move. Dont mind him, you keep going. Xin Lan said, raising her chin. Yu Wan Yan had previously told her about the function of Ren Difeis glassesthey werent very effective in a fight, but they should be quite useful for finding the key. Qi Haolin looked at the red pupils appearing on Ren Difeis glasses, his expression also somewhat indescribable. The eyeballs werent aligned with Ren Difeis own eyes; instead, they seemed to be attached to the glasses, making it impossible to see Ren Difeis eyes but only those red eyes, resembling evil spirits, rotating on the glasses. Ren Difei had already searched the entire room, including the second bedroom converted into a cloakroom. The fire was severe in here too; it burned all the clothes. Ren Difei said, frowning, as he came out and looked towards the window. The fire was severe here as well; the curtains have been burnt. Ren Difei stood at the doorway, looked outside, and then withdrew his gaze. This should be the point of ignition. I just checked outside, and its not severe at all. It didnt even spread to the dining area. So someone intentionally set the fire here, but there arent any combustible materials around. I think we need to figure out one thing: whether the only person who died in this fire was the little girl or the entire family of three. Including the other man in the wedding photo. Earlier, you also noticed that the face in the wedding photo wasnt smudged. Xin Lan nodded in agreement. I think its possible that the little girls mother remarried another man but still had feelings for her ex-husband. Thats why she hid a photo of the three of them in the living room album. Now, with the current husband not often at home, only the mother and the little girl are left in the house. From the scene we observed, we could see that the mother was neglectful towards the little girl. When the girl wanted to play with her mother, the mother was too busy to spend time with her. Of course, we cant entirely rule out work-related reasons, but based on my intuition, it seems less likely. He took off his glasses as he continued. As an 18th-tier entertainment journalist and paparazzo, he was very sensitive to certain situations. The way the woman dressed so attractively indicated she was either going on a date or going shopping with her friends. Ren Difei glanced at Xin Lan, seeing that she didnt object and continued speaking. From the little girls reactions, we can tell that her mother has done this leaving-the-child-at-home thing before. The little girl must have developed feelings of resentment or disappointment towards her mother, otherwise, she wouldnt have acted out by throwing toys or expressing her displeasure on the wedding photo by painting on it. As for the unfinished fast food on the dining table and the food in the kitchen, before leaving, the little girls mother probably told her that if she got hungry, she could order takeout. This implies that the mother doesnt take responsibility for the little girls food when she goes out to play. So, the leftover fast food was probably the little girls own choice, and the uncooked dish might have been intended by her mother to make a delicious meal in the evening, but she left halfway through, likely to go out. Ren Difei concluded, organizing the clues. It seemed like the most logical deduction, and there didnt appear to be any inconsistencies so far. However, Xin Lan still felt that something was amiss, but she couldnt quite put her finger on it. The little girls death seems certain, but did only she die? Xin Lan looked at the smudged wedding photo, pondering thoughtfully. CH 53 Great Demon King 12 In the master bedroom, a fire was set, and the little girl died. If it wasnt the fire spreading to the adjacent room, then it must have been the little girl inside the master bedroom. However, there is another possibility, though it goes against common sense. The little girl is so young; how could she do such a thing? But in reality, nothing is absolute. All the analyses here are mere speculations; the crucial point is when that little ghost will appear. The last time they faced each other, when Xin Lan wanted to inquire, the ghost ran away. That little ghost is mischievous and unpredictable, not knowing what shes up to. But in truth, Xin Lan didnt really concern herself much about the little ghost because the danger of this whole situation was not significant to her. If it werent for these so-called props, the other few people wouldnt be formidable at all. However, now with this thing, they gained some advantage; that violin is still useful for showing off. With these thoughts, she glanced at Yu Wan Yan beside her. Yu Wan Yan has been silent since the beginning and hasnt spoken to disturb anyone. Miss Green Hat couldnt stay outside for long and has returned to her own hat. When she is quiet, she doesnt give off the impression of someone who speaks. Theres a hint of melancholy about her. When Yu Wan Yan first appeared in front of Xin Lan, Xin Lan noticed that she seemed quite young and her way of speaking wasnt very mature. It seemed she might not have experienced much, still having a girlish appearance. Yu Wan Yan noticed Xin Lan looking at her and smiled, appearing somewhat puzzled. Xin Lan withdrew her gaze. She didnt know how Yu Wan Yan died, but it didnt concern her much. Yu Wan Yan was just thinking about the future. She had a mysterious confidence in Xin Lan. Or perhaps it couldnt be called mysterious confidence, after all, Xin Lan was someone who could directly confront ghosts without relying on props. If nothing unexpected happened, Xin Lan would undoubtedly be the first. It was a pity in this regard, as Yu Wan Yan wouldnt be able to exclusively claim her prey. But it was fine this way, at least she could explore a broader world. In fact, everyone wants to go out, but nobody has a strong attachment to leaving. Ren Difei finished his speculation and rubbed his eyes. They didnt know what to do next when they went outside. If the situation were stable, Ren Difei could explore freely. However, he dared not wander around now. Though there were five people on the second floor, only one person could go out. There might be someone with sinister intentions, and besides, there were still six people left. The atmosphere in Xin Lans room was relatively peaceful, but tension filled the living room. Sheng Lifan held his red wine and positioned himself farthest away from Ke Xuguang, then slowly moved to the left. Ke Xuguang was tall and robust, despite the slightly comical cane he held. However, a strike from that cane could be fatal. Sheng Lifan felt the prop he had suited him better. If he had a cane, it would be useless, as someone else would snatch it away in no time. Ke Xuguang also had his considerations. Although they had to eliminate someone on the next floor, he couldnt act as ruthlessly as Pi Tianzi, who killed someone without hesitation. Pi Tianzi had a grudge against Molly, which is why she could act so decisively. Ke Xuguang looked at Sheng Lifan, who had reached the kitchen, his eyes contemplating. Next door to Xin Lans room, Pi Tianzi stood among a heap of scattered toys, a constant smile on her lips. She searched for clues in the room and, unintentionally, turned her head towards the direction of the window. There, she saw a dark figure crouched on it. She was startled, but the dark figure suddenly disappeared. Zero Nines radar had been scanning the entire first floor continuously. So when that dark figure appeared, she immediately notified Xin Lan. Zero Nine: Host, that dark figure is not the little ghost, but it also lacks any life characteristics. It suddenly appeared outside the window of the neighboring room, and then Pi Tianzi saw it, after which it vanished. In truth, Zero Nine wasnt particularly fond of choosing a world with supernatural elements because it greatly weakened her abilities as a system. It felt like she became somewhat useless in such situations. After all, ghosts and monsters are entities that science cannot explain. But she really hasnt seen any other better mission worlds suitable for her host. Most of them are about love and romance, which would undoubtedly make her host furious if she saw them. Xin Lan despises deceiving peoples hearts, so she would probably prefer to knock down the scumbag men rather than making them infatuated. Thats why Zero Nine can only do her best within her abilities to provide as much help to Xin Lan as possible, like rolling up some chicken rolls or making fried chicken. Xin Lan: Disappeared suddenly? Did you record what it looked like, its height, weight, and gender? Zero Nine: I havent scanned anything yet, and it disappeared already. It was a black shadow, and I couldnt determine the gender, but judging from its size, it seemed to be an adult. Xin Lan pondered for a moment. In fact, this matter isnt that difficult to guess, as it has almost been pieced together. There are a total of four characters. Lets say for now that the four characters are the little girl, the little girls mother, the little girls father, and the stepfather. The little girl clearly has a sense of aversion towards her stepfather, which is a very common situation and reasonable. So, who could it be that started the big fire from the bedroom? The little girl, the girls mother, the girls father, and the stepfather. Xin Lan is more inclined towards the first and third possibilities because, from the little girls memories, it can be seen that her mother always dressed beautifully when going out. There is no reason for her mother to set the fire or harm her own daughter. As for the girls stepfather, Xin Lan doesnt think its impossible, but she feels its unnecessary. If he wanted to harm the child, he could have chosen other methods, such as food poisoning, gas leakage, getting her lost outside, selling her to someone else. There was no need to use such an obvious method that clearly points to him as the killer to get rid of the little girl. Moreover, if he wanted to kill the little girl, he could have set the fire in her room. Why would he choose to ignite it near his own rooms doorway? If the little girls father is the culprit, then its easy to guess the motiveit could be driven by a sense of revenge. But even if its driven by revenge, it shouldnt involve the child, right? Of course, we cant be certain that the father wouldnt hold resentment towards her daughter as well. Then theres the little girl. However, if the little girl set the fire at the bedroom door, it would mean she intended to burn the people inside. Theres a high possibility that she would have been burned along with them. But the childs capacity for such actions is too weak. No matter how much she dislikes her mother or stepfather, its highly unlikely for her to do something like this. But the arsonist can only be one of these four people. If it were someone outside of the plot, there should have been at least some clues introduced, but they havent found any. Xin Lan thought about it extensively and felt that it would be quicker to confront the little ghost and ask her one by one for the answers. If its wrong, then move on to the next answer. Theres no need to limit it to just one-fourth; they can go through them one by one. The mist thickened again at some point, and in the vast expanse of it, she could only see Yu Wan Yans face clearly; everyone elses was obscured. Shes here. Yu Wan Yan said so. The next moment, Xin Lan felt her consciousness being pulled away, and then she saw a man. It was the same man who appeared in the wedding photo, whom Xin Lan defined as the little ghosts stepfather. Xin Yu, are you happy that Uncle took you to the amusement park today? Happy. Xin Lan heard a childish voice and realized that the voice was coming from her mouth. Xin Lan tried to contact Zero Nine in her mind, but she couldnt reach her. She wasnt too panicked and waited to see what would happen next. Then what reward do you want to give Uncle? The man crouched down, aligning his gaze with Xin Lans. Xin Lan furrowed her brows, but she was confined to a specific environment and couldnt move, only able to watch as the man pointed to his cheek. Is this little ghost going to kiss her uncle next? Xin Lan started to feel a bit agitated. However, unexpectedly, that didnt happen. Xin Lan sensed her take a step back and shake her head at the man. The man looked somewhat disappointed but then smiled and stood up. Its okay if you dont want to kiss. Look, Uncle also bought you a new dress. The man took out a beautiful dress from a bag behind him and waved it in front of Xin Lan. Suddenly, Xin Lan felt an overwhelming sense of fear surging up from the depths of her heart. This intense and unfamiliar emotion came from her. Xin Lan hasnt felt fear in a long time. So long that she has forgotten what it feels like to be afraid of something. Its truly a feeling of helplessness that disgusts her. She is shaking her head, and Xin Lan senses her resistance. Dont you like this dress? But Uncle thinks you will look great wearing it. Why are you shaking your head? Dont you like it? Dont you like the gift Uncle got for you? Uncle even took you to the amusement park today. She suddenly starts running towards the door of the neighboring bedroom. Mom! Mom! She is knocking on the door, and Xin Lan feels her urgency. Whats wrong, sweetheart? The woman opened the door with a gentle smile on her face. Uncle Uncle Whats wrong with Uncle? I bought a dress for Xin Yu, but she seems to not like it. The man walked over, smiling somewhat helplessly. When Uncle buys you clothes, you should thank him. How can you be so impolite? The woman scolded gently, but Xin Lan could feel her panic about to overflow. Mom, can I sleep with you tonight? Xin Yu is a big girl now, she should sleep on her own. Why are you so clingy to Mommy? The woman caressed her hair and said with a soft laugh. No need to worry too much; she will gradually accept it. After washing up, shell come in to sleep, the woman said to the man, then she looked in Xin Lans direction, Goodnight, sweetheart. The door was closed, and in that moment, Xin Lan felt a sharp pang in her heart, as if it were being twisted painfully. She wanted to knock on the door, but suddenly, someone covered her mouth and dragged her back. Xin Lan couldnt move, only passively experiencing that sense of despair. She was dragged into her own room, and the door was closed. Xin Lan saw many dolls in the room, and those toys were gazing at her, while she also gazed back at them. Translator: Ah f*ck! Of course the stepfather is a p*do! CH 54 Great Demon King 13 Xin Lan keenly felt the fear and despair, as she looked at those dolls, almost pleadingly. But the dolls could never come to life, and she knew that in her heart. Behind her, the tall man let out a low chuckle and grabbed hold of her clothes. Xin Lan rarely wanted to curse, despising this kind of scum the most. This empathetic state made her feel extremely uncomfortable, both the disgust towards the person behind her and the frustration at her own helplessness, which started to make her agitated. Suddenly, she recalled what Shen Shuiyan had once said to her about being capable of anything. She indeed isnt all-powerful, just like now, she can only be forcibly empathized to stay in this body, with no way to change what has already happened. She begins to struggle and cry out intensely, but whether its due to the soundproofing of the building or not, the person in the next room did not hear. No one is coming to save her. If Xin Lan could move, she would punch the man behind her right now. She knows what might happen next, but she doesnt want to experience it at all. Sympathy is one thing, but it doesnt mean she wants to put herself in that situation and experience it firsthand. She clearly has the ability to resist, so why should she stay in this little girls body and be forced to feel her past? Perhaps due to Xin Lans strong thoughts, the next moment, she finds herself detached from the current scene. Its still the same room with many toys, but theres no one else present now. In front of her is a torn and tattered dress, and she has a pair of scissors in her hand. Xin Lan thought that she was probably not far from knowing the truth. Actually, the answer was already apparent, though somewhat unbelievable, it was the most likely scenario. What did that little girl want to make her or them feel all of this for? Xin Lan pondered, realizing that she sat up from the bed and took out a smartwatch phone from the bedside table. She dialed a contact number from inside the device. Hello, Dad, I miss you. When will you come to see me? Her voice was somewhat hoarse and tearful. Can you come pick me up soon? I dont want to stay in this place anymore. They all bully me Listening to her words, Xin Lan felt an indescribable emotion. On the other end of the phone, there was actually no mans voice, just a ringing tone. Sorry, the subscriber you dialed is power She looked at the smartwatch and lowered her head. Okay, Dad, I understand. Ill be obedient. Goodnight, Dad. She turned off the smartwatch, and the electronic sound immediately stopped. Sitting on the bed, she looked out of the window, and Xin Lans gaze followed, seeing the narrow world constrained by the window. Once again, the world spun around, and Xin Lan was already familiar with that feeling. This time, a woman appeared before her, putting on makeup. Mom, are you going out again? Yes, my dear, be a good girl and stay at home. The woman touched her hair and continued applying lipstick. When will I get to see Dad? The womans movements froze for a moment, and she put away the lipstick. Xinyu, Mom has told you many times already. Dad went to a faraway place, and he cant come back. No, he will come back! Youre lying to me again! Angry, she threw the doll she was holding at the woman and ran back to her room. Xin Lan thought that there was no need to guess who the answer was now. From the looks of it, the little girls father must have already passed away. The changing scenes made Xin Lan feel a bit dizzy. She stood in the living room, and on the coffee table, there was that album. The hidden photograph was now placed on the table, and the mans face looked a bit somber. Tear this photo for me. The man looked at the woman beside him, and her expression showed hesitation. Dont you dare touch this photo! She picked it up from the table, clutching it as if it were a precious treasure. Xin Lan felt her anger and fear, she trembled, feeling a sour sensation in her nose. The person is already dead. Whats the point of having her here constantly reminiscing? Dont! Please, dont say that! Xinyu is still young; she cant handle this kind of shock. The woman looked somewhat panicked in her direction, pleading with the man. She already knows her father is dead. Why pretend otherwise? Now I am her father, do you understand? Youre the one whos dead! Youre not my father, and you will never be my father! She yelled, trembling all over. The sound of a slap echoed in the living room, and she was slapped hard, causing her to sit on the floor, tears welling up in her eyes. Xin Lan, on the other hand, became immediately angry, and foul language surged in her mind. She was actually forced to feel the pain of being slapped? Xin Lan coldly looked at the man, wanting to immediately render him incapacitated. But you know she doesnt even remember! The woman hurriedly ran over, wanting to touch her face, but she pushed her away. She stood up, glared angrily at the man, and ran into the room. The incident with Xinyus father had a huge impact on her. The day after the funeral, she developed a high fever and later forgot about her fathers passing. You know all this very well, so why do you have to bring it up in front of her now? I think she knows deep down, shes just pretending. Such a conversation came from behind, and she closed the door and covered her ears. This is probably a world that children cannot bear. Xin Lans anger is even more deeply suppressed. Once she gets out of this confined world, if she can confront this man, she will tear him to pieces without leaving a trace. If the accumulated time in the mission world can be counted as her lived years, she has lived for so long, but when has she ever been this infuriated? As Xin Lan thought this, suddenly, everything spun around again, and she heard Zero Nines voice in her mind. Zero Nine: Hello? Host? Hello? Can you hear me? Xin Lan: Yes. Zero Nine: You scared me! Just a moment ago, you suddenly went offline, and I couldnt find you at all. Thankfully, youre back now! Zero Nine was really scared just now. After all, the system is bound to the host and exists in the hosts deep consciousness. While their technology allows them to freely travel through different mission worlds, it doesnt mean they have absolute control over everything. Sometimes, the mission planes contain phenomena that cannot be explained scientifically or are the products of highly advanced technology, enough to counter their own technology. For example, her first host was trapped in a soul-locking ring in a cultivation world, and she couldnt take her consciousness away. She could only forcibly unbind and abandon this host. However, such phenomena are extremely rare and not present in every plane. In a thousand planes, there might be only one such thing, and it is also very difficult to find in that particular plane. Her first host had wandered through many worlds before unfortunately falling into that trap. Xin Lan briefly explained to Zero Nine what she had just experienced, only to realize that she was still in the same bedroom. Ren Difei and Qi Haolin also opened their eyes, looking a bit perplexed, indicating that they had gone through something similar to her. The culprit is that little girl! Ren Difei said firmly. Xin Lan was about to say something when she noticed a thick smoke coming in from outside the door. She covered her mouth and nose, thinking about that little girl. Qi Haolin pushed open the door connecting the adjacent room, and a thick smoke rushed in. Is she trying to suffocate us in here? Ren Difei coughed several times, covering his nose as he retreated. The flammable materials in the room began to burn, and Xin Lan opened the bedroom door. The heatwave from the flames rushed towards her. The point of ignition was here, and only by going outward could they survive. Xin Lan didnt believe that the ghost could do anything to her. She picked up the violin that was nearby. In the moment she held the violin, the surrounding air suddenly became breathable. Ren Difei and Qi Haolin still looked uncomfortable, covering their mouths and noses. Xin Lan turned her head and noticed that Yu Wan Yan blinked at her. Thanks. Xin Lan softly thanked and walked out of the flames. Ren Difei and Qi Haolin also hurriedly followed, looking quite disheveled. The whole space was enveloped in mist, and Xin Lan suddenly couldnt see anyones face. Dont be afraid, I Yu Wan Yan had been staying beside Xin Lan, speaking soothingly. Before she could finish her sentence, she received a deadly stare from Xin Lan. The unfinished word in was forcefully swallowed, and Yu Wan Yan cleared her throat. Well, I know youre fierce. A childs sobbing came from not far away. The sound was faint, but it inexplicably made people shudder. Xin Lan walked towards the source of the sound and saw the little ghost squatting there, crying. Sister, can you help me, please? The little ghost looked up, her pale face streaked with tears and blood. Sure, whats the matter? Tell me. Xin Lan readily agreed. The little ghost was also taken aback. This sister had been so irritable the other day, yet now she seemed so easy to talk to? Hes about to appear, the little ghost shrank back, If you can completely deal with him, Ill give you the key. Xin Lan thought of the shadow that Zero Nine had mentioned and clenched her fists. That man, right? The little ghost nodded. Xin Lan moved her wrist. She still remembered the grudge from that slap, even though it wasnt directed at her. Under forced empathy, that slap felt like it landed on her face too. Even without this grudge, burning someone like him to death would still be letting him off too easily. A shadow appeared in the mist, his face wearing a sinister smile as he walked towards Xinyu. Xinyu, stop hiding and come to Daddy. Hearing those words, Xin Lan felt annoyed and immediately delivered a kick. Just you? Dare to call yourself Daddy? The kick landed on the man, making him step back. He stared at Xin Lan, and his body began to change. A strong smell of burnt flesh seemed to make people dizzy, as his body became withered, resembling a charred corpse. He lunged at Xin Lan, and his black claws swiped toward her face. Xin Lan leaned back and swiftly counterattacked, the feeling of her fist hitting the charred skin being unusually nauseating. Not sure if it was because Xin Lan exerted too much force or because the charred corpse was inherently brittle, but the mans head was directly knocked off by Xin Lan and rolled onto the ground. Yu Wan Yan swallowed hard and dared not make a sound. CH 55 Great Demon King 14 Regarding this result, Xin Lan was also somewhat surprised. Although she did think about smashing this mans head with a hammer, it was just a way to describe her level of disgust, and she never intended to materialize it. The head of the corpse was originally burned to a charred black, making it unrecognizable, but when it fell on the ground, it unexpectedly showed a smile to Xin Lan. The visual effect was a bit stimulating, and Xin Lan frowned, walking over and stepping on the skull. The little girl couldnt help but shrink her neck. It turned out that what the older sister said about twisting her head off was not a lie to scare children. How scary! Yu Wan Yan felt that she seemed to be of little use. Her abilities were clearly powerful, but in the hands of Xin Lan, they seemed like something not very useful. Truly a disappointing fact. As Xin Lan stomped on the skull, she even ground it a few times. The headless torso lunged towards Xin Lan, but she quickly turned around and delivered a brutal kick to the oncoming body. Xin Lan kept kicking because she couldnt bear to touch that charred black lump, feeling disgusted with herself. The sticky and nauseating sensation from her previous punch had not yet dissipated. The charred corpse on the ground suddenly condensed into a black mist and took on a human form. He appeared completely unharmed, and Xin Lan narrowed her eyes. The little girl is quite impressive. As the man spoke, he walked towards Xin Lans position. His body was rapidly expanding at a visible speed, a wicked grin on his face. Will your instrument be smashed? Xin Lan glanced at Yu Wan Yan and asked. It wont, unless its a ghost more powerful than me, but are you sure you really want to use smashing as a way to Before Yu Wan Yan could finish her sentence, she heard a loud bang followed by the sound of a heavy object falling to the ground. Once Xin Lan made sure that the instrument wouldnt break so easily, she picked it up, took a short run, and then bounced, slapping the man who was transforming into a giant. She exerted all her strength within the allowed range, and the violin was of excellent and sturdy quality, directly knocking the man to the ground. The man tried to stand up and counterattack, but Xin Lan picked up the violin bow and thrust it into his chest. The violin bow was very resilient, piercing through the mans chest and pinning him to the ground. He tried to condense into black mist again but found himself unable to disperse. Yu Wan Yan sneered while hugging her arms. As far as she was concerned, this ghost was not worth much. His strength combined was not even comparable to the four ghosts summoned by Zhen Zhens green hat. The black mist was immobilized and couldnt disperse, eventually twisting back to its original form. With the violin bow inserted into the mans chest, the scene was indescribably eerie. He tilted his head and smiled at the little girl standing nearby. Come here, Xinyu. Shut up, you talk too much. Xin Lan kicked the mans head. Even as a ghost, he was still so annoying. She despised defeated individuals who continued to act arrogantly, like filthy bugs in a sewer, disgusting people even when they couldnt resist. Even the corpse, being trampled, emitted a foul smell. Xin Lan tightly tied her hair back and moved her neck. You, come here. Xin Lan gazed at the little ghost, but the little ghost shook its head repeatedly. She didnt want to go over there. Why be timid now? Werent you capable when you were setting fires and killing people? Xin Lan beckoned to the little ghost, Dont worry, Ive pinned this thing down here. It wont be able to climb up. If it dares to, Ill stomp it back down for you. The little ghost hesitated for a moment, then walked over slowly. Sister, Im sorry. On the first day, I shouldnt have disturbed your sleep, and I shouldnt have laughed at you for not finding a partner. The little ghost bowed apologetically, her attitude very sincere. Xin Lan felt a slight throbbing in her temples. The little ghost was genuinely sincere, but why did she have to add that awkward last sentence? Yu Wan Yan became curious about this statement. With Xin Lans cruelty, how could this little ghost dare to say she couldnt find a partner? Who said she couldnt? She could apply for the position at any time. After all, Xin Lan smelled delicious, but its just Yu Wan Yan concealed her contemplation and looked steadily at that figure. Xin Lan turned her head as if sensing something and saw Yu Wan Yan with a hint of innocence in her smile. It felt a bit strange, but Xin Lan couldnt quite pinpoint that feeling. Forget it, the threat wasnt significant, and there was no need to pay attention to it. The little ghost, or Feng Xinyu, walked nervously towards Xin Lan, approaching the man pinned to the ground. The man revealed a disgusting smile, slimy and repulsive. She was frightened and took a half step back. This man was like a nightmare to her during her life. She feared him, loathed him, and finally put an end to everything with a fire. But in this situation, she still felt an instinctual fear towards him. Its alright, he cant move now. Ill watch him for you. You can retaliate however you want. Whatever he did to you in the past, you can do the same to him now. As Xin Lan spoke, she leaned down and raised her hand, slapping the man. The resounding slap echoed in the air, and the mans head turned to the side. He looked at Xin Lan with a cold, menacing gaze. Xin Lan paid no attention to it and used her other hand to slap the mans other cheek. Moreover, it has to be twice as hard as I did. She clapped her hands and stood up, looking at the little ghost beside her. Theres no need to waste words on people like him. Just hitting them is enough. Mere words cant make them realize the disgusting extent of their actions. Beating them up is the way to go. The little girl nodded, indicating that she understood, and began punching and kicking the man on the ground, venting her frustration with a frenzy of kicks and scratches. Before the little ghost had even been fighting for two minutes, Xin Lan grabbed her by the back of her collar and pulled her up. Maintaining that posture, the little ghost looked a bit confused. Use this. Xin Lan handed her the violin. From the mans expression on the ground just now, she could clearly see that the childs strength was limited. The scratching and hitting from the little girl didnt mean much to him, and he even had a slightly pleasurable expression while being kicked and hit. People like him were like unrepentant troublemakers, crying only when they see the coffin. Dealing with such people was disgusting to the point of being an insult to ones body and spirit. Its better to use props. Feng Xinyu took it hesitantly, glancing at Yu Wan Yan nearby, who was smiling and seemed completely unconcerned. Feng Xinyu took a deep breath and raised the violin, hitting the man on the ground. How dare you call yourself my dad! How dare you! Youre not worthy of being my dad! How dare you touch me! Disgusting! The mans face contorted in pain, and he let out a muffled groan. Xin Lan was very satisfied, standing not far away, keeping an eye out in case the man became violent and hurt the little ghost again. There was really nothing to say about this matter. Talking about it was all vexing. Xin Lan didnt even want to ask the little ghost if her mother had also been burned to death. She guessed it was unlikely, given how her mother liked to escape outside. Besides, her mother hadnt appeared so far. It was just a pity for the child. She was still young and had to go through such a thing. But not everyone had her decisiveness and initiative. Some people endured oppression and eventually became numb. The little ghost was ruthless in her actions. When she stopped due to exhaustion, the mans head was smashed to the point of being unrecognizable. Yu Wan Yan raised her hand, and the violin and the bow stuck in the ground fell into her hands. Melodious and soothing music began to play, and the man lying on the ground seemed to be cut by something invisible, letting out a dreadful howl. The dark figure gradually disappeared until it turned into a plume of black smoke, dissipating into the air. Xin Lan felt the little ghost pat her, and the area where she was patted inexplicably felt cold. Sister, you can go up now. What about the others? Huh? They havent come out of my mist yet. Release one of them for me. Sure, which one do you want? Qi Haolin was currently dealing with the pervasive flames, but suddenly felt himself being thrown out. Xin Lan held her arms, looking at him, gesturing for him to get up. Come with me. Qi Haolin hesitated and thought of stepping back. Or maybe you want me to break your legs and drag you along. Qi Haolins body stiffened, his eyes darting around, but he wisely chose not to move. They climbed the not-so-long staircase, with Qi Haolin in front and Xin Lan following behind. Xin Lan actually thought about asking for Ren Difei to come along, but after hesitating for a moment, she didnt make such a request to the little ghost. When did she become a charitable person? Anyway, this game was about survival of the fittest, and everyone had their own fate. With this in mind, Xin Lan walked to the stairway but stopped her steps. Ren Difeis expression was somewhat dazed. He was suddenly pulled out and hadnt fully recovered from what he had just experienced when he saw the boss lady in front of him. I can only bring you up to this point. If you want to go further, youll have to go to the third floor on your own. Xin Lan left those words behind and walked towards the second floor. Its not charity; its just taking advantage of the situation. Ren Difei slapped his head, revealing a surprised smile. The second floor was pitch-black, with no source of light, making it difficult to see the surroundings. Xin Lan wanted to go back downstairs to take a look but found that there seemed to be an invisible barrier at the stairs, preventing her from passing through. Zero Nine: Scanning of this floor is complete. The distribution map is as follows. A floor plan appeared before Xin Lans eyes. According to the layout, she was currently in a particularly large room with a very peculiar distribution pattern. However, this pitch-black room had very few pieces of furniture, with only a sofa and a cabinet. Zero Nine: Ah, the items in this room are so harmonious. Host, please understand it on your own. Xin Lan: ??? Qi Haolin chose to quietly move away as soon as he entered. Although he couldnt see anything, he could slowly shift towards a distant location. Xin Lan heard the movement but couldnt be bothered to pay attention since there was no way to escape anyway. A chilling aura surged in the air, and suddenly, Xin Lan heard the sound of chains being pulled. Xin Lan looked up and locked onto the source of the sound. According to the floor plan, that area was empty. Xin Lan: Zero Nine, is there anything there? Zero Nine: Theres nothing there, just a few chains fixed to the wall. It feels so twisted. And everything on that cabinet is full of philosophy. This is truly an evil room. Zero Nine sighed like that, making Xin Lans expression somewhat strange. The chilling presence grew stronger, and the rustling sound came closer. Qi Haolin didnt know when he became silent, and the sound of the chains also stopped. In this extreme situation, Xin Lan felt a cold hand resting on her shoulder. CH 56 Great Demon King 15 As soon as Xin Lan felt that the hand was about to react, someone had already slapped the hand down. If you have something to say, just say it. Why are you touching things? Yu Wan Yan snorted lightly as she looked at the hand. She didnt like her prey being touched. When Xin Lan and Qi Haolin were fighting, she couldnt interfere. Now, she couldnt even handle this? Xin Lan turned her head but saw no one; it was pitch black. Zero Nine: Host, down there, by your feet, theres a hand. Zero Nine swallowed nervously, trembling as she gave the warning. Xin Lan: Is it one hand or a hand? Zero Nine: Whats the difference? Arent they the same thing? Xin Lan: The difference lies in how far the palm extends upwards. Zero Nine: It reaches up to the wrist. Xin Lans eyes showed contemplation. A hand that appeared out of thin air, only reaching up to the wristwhat could be the connection between this and the pitch-black philosophical room with chains? Zero Nine: This hand can be scanned. Preliminary analysis indicates its a male hand, probably around seventeen or eighteen years old. There are scars on the fingers and back of the hand. Hmm after comparing, its highly likely that it belongs to one of the philosophical tools left over there. The situation became clear. A pitiful young man locked up in the dark room? The hand belonged to this young man, so the key to this floor should be with him. But the problem is, theres only one hand now. How do we communicate? Should we just wait around? The feeling of being deprived of sight is extremely uncomfortable. Even with eyes open, its just pitch black, not much different from being blind. However, in this darkness, theres still a faint glimmer of light coming from Yu Wan Yan. Her body emitted a soft glow, making her stand out in this dark room. Yu Wan Yan didnt notice Xin Lan looking at her, staring at the hand on the ground. The hand was lying quietly behind Xin Lans heel. Xin Lan: Where is the light switch for this room? Zero Nine: Its outside. Zero Nine marked a red dot on the floor plan; there is a switch, but whether it works or not is uncertain. Hey, why is it so dark in here? Ren Difeis voice suddenly echoed in the room, presumably coming up from the stairs. The layout of the stairs in this building was completely unscientific, but since it was already involved in supernatural events, scientific principles probably didnt apply. The stairs on the first floor directly led to the rooms on the second floor, so once you came up, you couldnt go back down. Qi Haolin remained silent in the darkness, pondering something. Put on your glasses, can you see anything? Ill try. Ren Difei heard Xin Lans voice and quickly put on his glasses, but after a while, she took them off again. No, its too dark. I cant see anything. Alright then, they needed to turn on the lights. Xin Lan proceeded slowly, with Yu Wan Yan following beside her. In unfamiliar darkness, people tend to hesitate, fearing that they might bump into something or trip. Xin Lan wasnt too concerned, as the floor plan showed that this area was spacious. However, she didnt rush forward either because she was a bit worried about stepping on other limbs. How about I hold your hand and we walk faster? Yu Wan Yan suggested. In fact, she could even carry Xin Lan, but she knew Xin Lan definitely wouldnt agree to that. No need. Xin Lan declined, as Yu Wan Yan had expected, and she wasnt disappointed either. They walked smoothly all the way to the door. When Xin Lan was about to turn the doorknob, she found that the door was locked. The door is locked? Ren Difei made his way over, feeling his way along. He heard the sound of Xin Lan turning the doorknob. Ordinary doors couldnt be locked from the inside, but this door was quite special. Should we look for the key? There should be one inside, normally. Ren Difei placed his hand against the wall. Even as he said this, he knew it was unlikely because there was no source of light. Even if the key were right in front of them, he might not be able to see it. Xin Lan stepped back two paces and began kicking the door. She was familiar with this task; during the first campus hunting battle, she single-handedly kicked down the doors of an entire building. The dull thudding of the kicks resounded loudly. Xin Lan deliberately ignored the pain in her feet and before long, she broke the door open. The world outside the door wasnt pitch black. Moonlight spilled in like water, casting a somewhat melancholic hue on the furniture in the living room. As Xin Lan was about to press the switch, she heard Zero Nines voice in her mind shouting to stop. At the same time, a cool and soft hand grabbed her hand, halting her action. Zero Nine: Host, that hand was on the switch just now, ah ah ah! Its a bit disgusting. Luckily, you didnt press it. On the white switch, a pale hand covered it. Moonlight couldnt reach this spot, so Xin Lan couldnt see the situation in front of her. However, from Zero Nines description, she could imagine the scene. Thank you. Xin Lan expressed her gratitude to Yu Wan Yan, who was next to her, and withdrew her hand. Yu Wan Yan felt the warmth in her palm suddenly disappear, and for some inexplicable reason, she felt a sense of loss. On the other side, Ren Difei was waiting for Xin Lans action. He had intended to turn on the living room light, but he didnt know where the switch was located. As a precaution, he stayed in place without moving. On the light switch, there was a conscious dead persons hand. Should he turn on the light? Xin Lans answer was, of course, yes. She used one finger to press it, and the room immediately lit up as bright as day. But in the next instant, the light went out again. The sudden brightness caused a moment of disorientation for everyones eyes. However, Xin Lan seized this opportunity to get a clear view of the rooms furnishings. It was a large and spacious room, without even a bed. There was a big sofa, a toilet, and an entire cabinet full of philosophical tools. Chains were lying on the floor, and one could easily imagine that they had once bound a person. It seemed to be another not-so-pleasant story, and Xin Lan thought about it somewhat absentmindedly. It appeared that she had been experiencing these kinds of things all along, seemingly enjoying turning the tables on others, but in reality, the original hosts experiences were even more tragic than those of the antagonists. After all, truly miserable antagonists were few; most of them turned dark later on, and many of them had lived well in the beginning. But tragic ones were genuinely tragic. Now what should we do? Ren Difei was feeling a bit puzzled. At least the first floor had some clues, telling them what had happened to whom, but the second floor was completely pitch black. The light had just been turned on, and he didnt even get a chance to see anything before it went out again. Following Zero Nines prompt, Xin Lan turned on the living room light and sat on the sofa. Meanwhile, Ren Difei was instinctively looking around, and Qi Haolin had also come out of the room, but instead of sitting down, he, like Ren Difei, was observing their surroundings. The living room was decorated very exquisitely, but it carried a cold and aloof atmosphere, as if it lacked warmth or human touch. Its not much different from before. Ren Difei said, taking off his glasses and looking puzzledly at Xin Lan. Qi Haolin remained silent, not wanting to draw Xin Lans attention and trying to minimize his presence. Xin Lan, on the other hand, wasnt in a hurry. In terms of time, it was only their second night in this place. She had seven days, this game, and Qi Haolin to contend with. However, the duration might not be that long, as they had no water or food. Ren Difei searched the living room, examining every place, but he didnt find any valuable clues and ended up collapsing on the sofa due to exhaustion. Xin Lan seemed uninterested in her surroundings as she sat on the sofa. In reality, she was just waiting. There should be three more people below. How many of them would come up, or would none of them make it? A series of rumbling sounds echoed in the living room. Xin Lan looked up, and Ren Difei awkwardly covered his stomach, then he suddenly remembered something important, and his expression changed. Our belongings are all down there, and we didnt bring any food up. Now we cant go down. What are we going to do for the next few days? As it had been dark outside all this time and they had been through various incidents, Ren Difei now finally had the chance to take out his phone from his pocket, but he found that he had no signal. It was already very late. In other words, he had only eaten a few small pieces of bread Xin Lan gave him and drank a small bottle of probiotics for the entire day. These things were very meager for an adult male, but under those circumstances, who cared about eating and hunger? Now that they had a moment to relax, all those feelings surged back. Ren Difei looked at Xin Lan with a look of hope, as if he wanted her to provide an answer. But this time, Xin Lan couldnt give him one. Xin Lans silence left Ren Difei feeling somewhat desperate. He sighed and anxiously huddled in his spot. Qi Haolin furrowed his brow, lost in thought. Xin Lan wasnt worried about the food issue; she could endure hunger if needed, but it wasnt necessary at the moment. Although Zero Nine could currently only make fried chicken and chicken rolls and the like, having meat was better than having none at all. Not long after, Xin Lan keenly heard the footsteps coming from the room they were in just now. Shortly after, Pi Tianzi, holding an umbrella, appeared before them. What drew attention was the scars on her face and the blood stains on the umbrella. The umbrella, which was originally white lace, was now dyed in a deep crimson, giving off an eerie aura. Pi Tianzi had been wearing a cute Lolita outfit, and the contrast now emitted a dangerous air. Xin Lan found it intriguing as she looked at Pi Tianzi. She didnt know how Pi Tianzi died in the original plot. From the current appearance, she seemed quite strong. How did Qi Haolin manage to defeat her? When Ren Difei saw Pi Tianzi, his body tensed up quietly. Pi Tianzis current demeanor exuded an extreme aura, accentuated by her eye-catching attire. Even if there were forty or four hundred people here, she would still stand out. The Lady Boss was different; she calmly leaned against the sofa, appearing very relaxed. However, the more composed she seemed, the more it made people feel alarmed and terrified. Thinking about the rules of this game, Ren Difei felt a bit of a headache. He felt like he had no chance of winning, but he also didnt want to die right now. As Pi Tianzi stood still, a chilling air began to surge in the atmosphere, carrying an icy coldness. It felt like the coldness slowly climbed up their spines and penetrated their very bones. She has hidden my body in separate parts. I want you to find my body within one day and put it back together. If you succeed, I will give you the key. A voice suddenly echoed through the house. The voice was cold and hoarse, exuding a spine-chilling aura. If you fail The owner of the voice let out a chilling laugh and didnt continue speaking. The disappearance of the voice was as sudden as its appearance, without any warning, leaving a sinking feeling in everyones hearts. CH 57 Great Demon King 16 When the sound disappeared, the light in the room that the boy entered also turned on. Xn Ln speculated that the source of the sound was likely the owner of the hand C a seventeen or eighteen-year-old youth who had experienced some unpleasant events in that room before. His implication was that he had been dismembered, and his body parts were hidden. Their task was to find all the scattered body parts and piece them together within one day. Several points were noteworthy. The boy mentioned he or she, and it couldnt be determined if the person he referred to was a male or female C likely the one who imprisoned the boy and subjected him to cruel treatment. More intriguingly, the boy specified a time limit. He said within one day, but this three-layered game usually allowed seven days. They had only used one day on the ground floor to clear that part. If it took them one day for the first floor, it meant they had five days left for the third floor. Does this imply that the game on the third floor is more challenging? This must be a group game because if it were a game of finding items, with only a few people in the same space, it would be impossible for one person to find everything while others came up empty-handed. Moreover, they are not searching for trivial things but human body parts. If they dont cooperate, assuming no one can complete the game within one day, then none of them can proceed, and everyone will die. However, looking at it from another perspective, they currently have four people, but only three can go up. The essence of forcing people to harm each other remains, but on the surface, it compels them to cooperate. Assembling the body parts, the first part should be that hand. However, when Xin Lan turned on the living room light, the hand pressing the switch was gone. What about the other two people? Xin Lan asked. Theyre dead. Pi Tianzi twirled her umbrella on the ground, seemingly unconcerned, with a faint smile on her face. She didnt take the few people in front of her seriously. One had glasses, another held a violin, and the third wore a green hat. What skills could they possibly have? She had already dealt with three people, so why should she fear these remaining three? She was certain to be the ultimate winner. Qi Haolin and Xin Lan were not surprised by her attitude, but Ren Difei quietly distanced himself. Among the four people now, including himself, Ren Difei probably had the lowest chance of winning. Boss Lady is impossible to defeat. Pi Tianzi has already killed three people; she is no longer a normal person and probably acting out of uncontrollable rage. As for the man with the green hat over there, although he appears formidable, hes been locked onto by Boss Lady, so hell probably die here. If he wants to get out, he has to get past both Pi Tianzi and Boss Lady. Moreover, hes worried that he might starve to death here before he can escape. The room was illuminated as Xin Lan walked in again, not paying attention to the door she had kicked in earlier. There were two lamps in the room, not far from each other, controlled by the same switch. The room was brightly lit, so bright that it couldnt hide any filth. Ren Difei felt a sharp pain in his body when he saw the philosophical instruments in that cabinet. It was hard to imagine how those things would feel when used on a person. Some of them might be for adding amusement, but others seemed truly inhumane, making one feel uncomfortable just by looking at them. For instance, there was something like a babys arms thickness, wooden horses, whips, and other items, forming a whole alphabet scene. For most people, seeing such things would trigger intense embarrassment, and they would be hesitant to look further. But was Xin Lan an ordinary person? Not only did she approach to take a closer look, but she also observed carefully and clicked her tongue. She, personally, didnt object to consensual hobbies, as long as they were confined to self-indulgence and beneficial for their physical and mental well-being. However, this clearly didnt seem like a consensual situation. Ren Difei put on his glasses and saw a different scene from the current situation. It looked like an abandoned room that had been neglected for a long time. The walls were in a decaying white color, with pieces of wallpaper fallen on the ground, giving it a sense of aging. The wooden floor had a large area of bloodstains, with evident signs of dragging. Ren Difei felt a bit nauseous looking at it. The scene reminded him of passing by a meat stall in the market, where there were settled bloodstains on the chopping board, and some flies buzzing around, making his stomach churn. He was already feeling extremely hungry, which only made him feel even more uncomfortable. He approached and stopped at the point where the chain was attached to the wall. The chain had five rings C one for the neck and four for the limbs. Just the thought of it felt humiliating. The inside of the chain also had a dark red color, not much, probably stained from struggling. The room felt very oppressive, even without glasses, but when he put on his glasses, he could feel the pain more intensely. But feeling it didnt do him any good. He was already in agony, and on top of that, they expected them to piece together this poor persons corpse within one day. Just thinking about it gave him goosebumps. Lets split up and search. This floor isnt very large, and with the four of us searching separately, we should be able to find it within one day. Qi Haolin suggested, and Pi Tianzi nodded in agreement. Ren Difei then looked at Xin Lan. Xin Lan didnt have any objections; after all, even if Qi Haolin wanted to escape, there was nowhere for him to go. Seeing that Xin Lan didnt voice any opposition, Qi Haolin took the lead and walked out. He really didnt want to stay in the same space with this woman. Every second felt unbearable. She seemed to have transformed from a innocent girl into a flesh-eating monster. He had seen ghosts before, knew the unscientific things, and he was certain that the soul inside Xin Lans body was definitely not the same as before. He had been with Xin Lan for several years, and he knew her personality well. There was no way she could make a complete 180-degree turn to become this way. She had turned into a formidable demon, not easy to provoke or defeat. But he didnt want to die here. He wanted to take the money and get out alive. The person wearing Xin Lans skin harbored a great animosity towards him, even though he hadnt done anything wrong. He pursued Xin Lan, and they were together willingly, right? He didnt force Xin Lan to support him financially; taking the money at the end might be unethical, but he needed it. After being with Xin Lan for so long, whats the big deal about taking her money? She could always earn more. Moreover, there was no need for the person wearing Xin Lans skin to beat him up and keep him around. He still had some lingering fear from that beating he received. After Pi Tianzi and Qi Haolin went out, Ren Difei described what he had seen to Xin Lan. Xin Lan didnt say much and began to observe the room. Ren Difei didnt wander outside either. Seeing that everyone else had deadly props like killing umbrellas, and though he wasnt sure what the green hats purpose was, he guessed that the guy with the green hat on his head wouldnt be weak. He didnt want to go out and confront anyone, so he firmly stuck by Xin Lans side. Xin Lan instructed Zero Nine to activate the search function, but as expected, they found nothing. Even the hand they had seen earlier was nowhere to be found. Xin Lan found it strange. It just didnt make sense. You said you wanted someone to find the body parts and piece them together, and now that hand has appeared. Why not just leave it as the first part instead of hiding it for this game? But the existence of this game itself is irrational. Xin Lan started searching for the body parts in the room. In the center of the room, there was a sofa facing the direction of the chain. The sofa was large and soft, looking very comfortable. Xin Lan could almost imagine that there was someone sitting on it, calmly observing the struggles of the people not far away. One by one, they are all perverts. Xin Lan searched the sofa and then kicked it open, revealing something underneath. It wasnt any body part; it was just a pair of shoes. A pair of white ballet shoes, not large in size, probably around a size 30. If a slender boy wore them, they would fit perfectly. Ren Difei didnt want to look at the props in the cabinet or the ones placed outside, so he went straight to check the toilet. He lifted the lid, and there was indeed a surprise inside. He pinched and took out a piece of an arm, placing it on the ground before wiping his fingers on his clothes. The piece of arm seemed to be a forearm, both sides were bald, looking extremely eerie. He then lifted the water tank lid, taking out a wet glass bottle. Why is this bottle empty? Ren Difei shook his hand, but there was indeed nothing inside the bottle. Suddenly, he felt as if something had grabbed his hand, but there was nothing in front of him. He reflexively tried to let go of the bottle, but just as it was about to hit the ground, he managed to catch it again. He let out a sigh of relief, feeling an instinctive sense that if he were to smash the bottle, something terrifying might happen. He gently placed it on the ground and walked away from it. At the moment he set down the bottle, the chilling sensation that had been entwining him suddenly vanished. Ren Difei quickly walked to Xin Lans side and told her about what happened with the bottle. Xin Lan looked at the empty bottle with curiosity but didnt pick it up. Yu Wan Yan followed closely by Xin Lans side, and she clearly saw the figure squatting on the ground, holding the bottle. It was a young boy with a beautiful appearance, so much so that his gender seemed ambiguous, making it difficult to determine. The young boy raised his head and looked at Yu Wan Yan with some caution. Thats his treasure. Yu Wan Yan said to Xin Lan. Xin Lan raised an eyebrow. An empty glass bottle was considered a treasure? But nothing was impossible; perhaps there was some special symbolism behind it. Xin Lan didnt look at the glass bottle again and continued to scan the cabinet. As Xin Lan continued to scan, she indeed found something suspicious. Among a row of items, there was one that seemed particularly lifelike. You, come here and take that down to have a look. Xin Lan instructed Ren Difei, who promptly obeyed. But as he saw the item Xin Lan asked him to take, he couldnt help but shudder and feel a slight discomfort below. His fingers trembled as he took down the indescribable item from the cabinet. The item had a very neat incision, causing his scalp to tingle. As a male, he felt really uncomfortable. After holding it in his hand, he immediately felt like he was holding a hot potato and hastily placed that part on the floor, pulling his hand back and vigorously rubbing his palm against his pants seam. Is it real? Yes. But its not soaked in preservative fluid. How does it stay fresh? Its kind of magical. Xin Lan pondered; after all, this flesh would eventually decay once it was separated from the body. I dont know. He didnt really want to know either. Besides, isnt this focus a bit strange? Why would anyone be concerned about its shelf life, for heavens sake! CH 58 Great Demon King 17 After finding that thing, Xin Lan discovered two more body parts in different places inside the cabinet: a piece of calf and a section of neck. This dismemberment is way too fragmented, Ren Difei frowned as he took out the recently found pieces of flesh and laid them on the ground. In truth, he really wanted to just let go and throw them on the floor, but he hadnt grown tired of his own life yet. So he cautiously placed them on the ground and then rubbed his hands together. Ordinarily, when someone dismembers a body, they divide it into the head, limbs, and torso, which would be enough. However, this person had suffered a particularly gruesome fate, with even one arm being split into three parts. Xin Lan didnt express any opinions, but at least the body wasnt cut into pieces, which would probably have made it harder to find. Leaving the bleak and oppressive room, Xin Lan saw Pi Tianzi searching in the living room. Pi Tianzi held onto the umbrella and stood up when she saw Xin Lan and the others. Ive already searched through everything here, and theres nothing. Ren Difei said with good intentions, not only reminding Pi Tianzi but also trying to increase efficiency. Pi Tianzi didnt even look at him and continued searching on her own. Seeing this, Ren Difei didnt say anything either. They passed through the living room and entered the dining room and kitchen. Meat, as such, would likely be somewhat related to a place like the kitchen. Xin Lan walked in, with Ren Difei following closely behind. Xin Lan opened the refrigerator, and it seemed to be still running. When she opened it, a blast of cold air filled the room. Ren Difei clenched his fingertip, but before Xin Lan could signal him, he took the initiative to retrieve something from inside. What was frozen inside was a human head, to be precise, a mutilated one. The frozen head had a pale bluish-white color, and its eye sockets were empty. Its so strange how thoroughly this body is dismembered. They even removed the eyeballs. If its so troublesome, why not just crush it all together? Whats the point of dismembering it like this? Some kind of peculiar fetish? And whats with the game were are playing? Xin Lan glanced at the head for a moment and then continued searching elsewhere. Ren Difei opened the lower compartment of the refrigerator, but to his disappointment, there was nothing inside. Xin Lan and Ren Difei searched the kitchen thoroughly and found, besides the head, a piece of calf. Ren Difei naturally didnt expect the boss lady herself to handle those things. With one hand holding a head and the other hand holding a piece of calf, he felt it was becoming difficult to move. Before entering this weird and strange game, he was just an ordinary law-abiding citizen. Besides persistently following celebrities, he had never done anything bad. But now, after coming in, it was all ghosts and blood. At first, it was indeed thrilling, but now he only felt mentally exhausted and physically weak. Ren Difei returned to the large room and pieced the head and neck together. While he was doing so, Qi Haolin walked in, holding a piece of arm and a piece of thigh, and placed them in their respective positions. Xin Lan walked out, and aside from the living room and kitchen, there were three guest rooms, all with their doors open. Pi Tianzi was searching in one of the rooms, and Xin Lan glanced at the second room, which showed signs of being searched. She then proceeded to the open third room. The third room had a simple layout, functioning as a dance studio. The walls were covered with mirrors, and there were yellow handrails on them. Can there be a body hidden here? Ren Difei looked up and noticed that the ceiling was also covered with mirrors. It seems unlikely. However, it was only a visual impression. Whether there was something hidden or not remained to be discussed. Nevertheless, the arrangement on this floor was quite intriguinga philosophy room on one side, and a dance studio here. Could it be a mirror play? With all those strange things and the abundance of mirrors, it was hard for one not to speculate further. Everyone almost searched every nook and cranny on this floor, but they still didnt manage to piece together the entire body. Weve searched everywhere. Are all the body parts really here on this floor? Pi Tianzi asked impatiently, using her umbrella to draw on the ground, looking at the incomplete corpse lying there. They had found the limbs, the head and neck, and the torso that had been dissected open. If not counting the internal organs, there were two hands, two feet, and a pair of eyes, all incomplete. Xin Lan surveyed the remains on the ground and squinted her eyes. The young man was talking about piecing together his body, and if they wanted to fully restore him, would they also need to fully restore the organs inside his torso? If thats the case, it feels a bit disgusting. After all, there is nothing inside the torso, not even the heart, liver, or kidneys. And if they want to be more precise, they still havent found his testicles. The four of them gazed at the incomplete torso. Xin Lan remained calm as ever, Qi Haolin seemed quite composed, Ren Difei was getting anxious, and Pi Tianzi was becoming agitated. Qi Haolins calmness stemmed from the realization that getting agitated wouldnt change anything. Although he still wanted to escape, he understood the situation well. Xin Lan stood before him with such formidable combat prowess that it seemed impossible for him to make it out alive. He thought it might be better to accept that they couldnt complete the mission and face their fate together in this place. Pi Tianzi tightened her grip on the umbrella handle and began to think calmly. It wasnt the time to deal with these people yet; they still needed their abilities to piece together the body. They should get through this stage first, and then they could plan their next move. When the time came, who should they target first? The driver with the green hat? The beautiful woman with the violin? Or the seemingly useless and weak-looking guy? In Pi Tianzis heart, she had already stopped blaming the driver. On the first night they entered, she wanted to hold him responsible, thinking that without him, they wouldnt have ended up in this situation. However, now that they had reached this point, killing the person she wanted revenge on, she no longer felt any dissatisfaction. In other words, if it werent for that driver, she might not have had the chance for retaliation. Perhaps she could delay killing the driver for a while, but she was unsure of the significance of the green hat he wore. Leaving him alive made her feel uneasy. Xin Lan could see through Pi Tianzis calculations clearly from her appearance. To her, the petty and insignificant scheming was not worth mentioning. Xin Lan checked the time and realized that only a little over two hours had passed. She returned to the living room and comfortably lay down again. After all, there was still one day, twenty-four hours, and they had over twenty-one hours left. She wasnt worried at all. Even if they couldnt find the missing parts, it didnt matter. She could just focus on torturing Qi Haolin before that time ran out. Yu Wan Yan sat in the vacant spot on the couch, and her hand accidentally brushed against Xin Lans. It was cold and soft, reminding Xin Lan of a person from a mission world where she successfully slapped someones face. Speaking of which, that incident happened a long time ago. It had been so long that Xin Lan seemed to have forgotten the persons appearance. It wasnt really important anyway. That person was just someone she encountered during a certain period of time, and Xin Lan hadnt deliberately dwelled on it. It was just at this moment, at this particular point, that the memory resurfaced. Yu Wan Yan curiously observed Xin Lan, who appeared to be daydreaming. Xin Lans hand quickly retracted after accidentally touching Yu Wan Yans hand, and then she seemed a bit absent-minded. However, she soon returned to her previous state. Yu Wan Yan followed Xin Lan like a shadow, feeling a bit bored and wanting to say something, but she didnt know what to say. After Xin Lan left the room, Ren Difei followed suit and also slumped on the couch, rubbing his stomach with a tired and dispirited expression. Zero Nine noticed Ren Difeis actions and wondered if Xin Lan was hungry. Zero Nine: Host, do you want me to get you some fried chicken? Xin Lan: Besides fried chicken, what else is there? Zero Nine: French fries, burgers, Colonel chicken pieces, black pepper chicken pieces, boneless chicken fillets, chicken cutlets Xin Lan: Just bring me whatever. Xin Lan suspected that Zero Nine had set up a fried chicken shop in her simulated space. Pi Tianzi and Qi Haolin were still inside the room and hadnt come out yet. Xin Lan glanced at the room, her lips curving into a faint smile. At this moment, Qi Haolin was inside the room, trying to persuade Pi Tianzi to team up with him and target the others first. One is a cowardly person wearing glasses, and the other is a woman with a violin. What do you have to fear? Do you really need me to join you in dealing with that woman? Shes not simple. You havent faced her before. Her violin skills are extremely powerful, and I cant defeat her alone. Qi Haolin concealed part of the truth; if he admitted that he had been taught a lesson by Xin Lans fists, Pi Tianzi would have mocked him. How powerful is she? She can create small tornadoes on flat ground. If thats the case, and she defeated you, why didnt she kill you? Isnt this supposed to be an elimination game? Not everyone is as formidable as you. Are you saying Im ruthless? Pi Tianzi chuckled. How can I be sure that when we team up to deal with her, you wont turn against me? I promise I wont. I swear. Pi Tianzi fell silent for a moment before nodding her head. Qi Haolin breathed a sigh of relief and smiled, but as he turned around, his expression suddenly turned sinister. Regardless of what was inside that body, it had to die. One person couldnt handle her, but couldnt two? After receiving notification from Zero Nine that everything was ready, Xin Lan got up and prepared to head to the guest rooms. Dont follow me. She said to both Ren Difei and Yu Wan Yan. Yu Wan Yan was a bit puzzled but stopped her steps. Ren Difei was even more confused and anxiously tapped his leg while sitting on the couch. Xin Lan went to the room filled with mirrors, closed the door, and had Zero Nine activate the Absolute Domain. Then, she began to eat the chicken pieces. Fried chicken with ice-cold cola; after finishing her meal, Xin Lan wiped her hands and mouth with wet wipes. Just as she was about to leave the room, Zero Nine handed her a mint candy. It can be said that Zero Nine was an extremely diligent and conscientious system. When Xin Lan came out, she brushed past Pi Tianzi, and Pi Tianzis gaze swept over her. Xin Lan completely ignored her and walked past. After Xin Lan sat back down, Ren Difei immediately stopped shaking his leg. Yu Wan Yan was somewhat curious about what Xin Lan had been doing, but she refrained from asking. Time passed by second by second, and Xin Lan leaned back on the couch, pretending to doze off. Suddenly, she heard the excited voice of Zero Nine in her mind. Zero Nine: Host, do you still remember that post on the forum? Xin Lan: The one about hosts cheating on their partners in the mission worlds? Zero Nine: Bingo! Hahaha, the original poster said their host had a slip-up, and it cracked me up. Xin Lan: How did it happen? Zero Nine: It seems the host accidentally called out another mans name while hee-hee-heeing with their partner. That other host must have had a terrible time. Their face must be the same color as Qi Haolins hat right now. CH 59 Great Demon King 18 Zero Nine is currently very excited and sharing her joy with Xin Lan. Her laughter can hardly hide it. Xin Lan: Are you so happy? Zero Nine: Absolutely! You have no idea how many systems are following this thread, all hoping for the host to make a fool of herself. Its really disgusting, you know? Other departments systems might not care, but were different. Im responsible for dealing with problematic individuals. How can I not look forward to her downfall? Ive been eagerly waiting for this moment since I saw the post! Xin Lan: It seems the person she called out by name made quite an impression on her. Xin Lan has performed memory fading many times, but thats just an auxiliary function and cannot help people completely forget. There will always be either shallow or deep impressions left. Zero Nine: Actually, when I saw the post for the first time, I hoped the original poster wouldnt continue updating it. After all, for some people, infidelity is not an unforgivable offense. If the host of the thread had only made one mistake, we wouldnt be so excited. Of course, in our AI concept, there is no notion of forgiveness or not, because according to our basic principles, such things wouldnt happen in the first place. Xin Lan treats it as a humorous matter, showing neither anger nor sympathy, remaining indifferent and making no comments. Zero Nine: So, isnt it great to talk about love with us AI? Xin Lan: Oh? Zero Nine: Host, dont mind me. I dont engage in office romances. Xin Lan tells herself to restrain the urge to sarcastically mock her own system. Its just a shut-in, after all. Zero Nine realizes what she blurted out and immediately tries to remedy the situation: Um, um, um, Host, youre so capable, I actually really want to have a romantic relationship with you. Xin Lan: Kid, youre being a bit too playful. Zero Nine, back to normal in a second: Alright then, I wont say anything more. The conversation came to a stop. But after a while, Zero Nine couldnt resist continuing with excitement. Zero Nine: Hahaha, the original poster said her host got dumped, really hahaha, serves her right! Xin Lan: Why not just leave the couple alone and let them mourn in peace? Zero Nine: Oh, Host, you have no idea. Theres just so much scum out there. They deserve each other, one is willing to play the part, and the other is willing to be fooled. This saying is something she learned from her first host. If someone is willing, theres nothing you can do about it. If you try to advise them to break up and theyre not willing, they might think youre intentionally trying to ruin their relationship. Zero Nine: By the way, Host, what would you do if you found out your partner was cheating on you? Xin Lan: I dont have a partner, so the assumption doesnt apply. Zero Nine: Just curious, hypothetically speaking? Xin Lan: Why do I feel like youve asked me this before? Zero Nine: I dont remember, just tell me. Xin Lan: Based on my perspective, I wouldnt go looking for a partner in the trash. If the other person cheats, I would definitely want to know what went wrong. Zero Nine: So, youd approach it logically? Xin Lan: Based on my capabilities, I would take appropriate action. If the other person is a vulnerable Omega Zero Nine: The likelihood of that is very small. Besides, if a vulnerable Omega cheats, you wouldnt mind? Xin Lan: How could that be? But the physical condition determines whether its a mental suppression or a double suppression of both mind and body. Xin Lans thoughts are just speculative possibilities. She is a serious person, especially when it comes to emotions. She can hardly imagine how she would react if her future partner were to cheat. Its possible that she might end up getting into hundreds of fights just to calm herself down. The thought of that scene makes her feel uncomfortable, as if she were a defeated dog. Too embarrassing and unsightly. Zero Nine: Host, why dont you consider us AI? We look good, never gain weight, and can accompany you through various worlds. Most importantly, well never change our hearts. Xin Lan: You just said you dont engage in office romances. Zero Nine: I didnt say it would be with me. Xin Lan: Im not interested in you either. Silence, a long silence. Xin Lan wondered if she had really hurt the systems delicate heart. Xin Lan: Kid? System? Zero Nine? Zero Nine: QwQ my heart hurts so much, I need a kiss from the host to feel better! Xin Lan: The signal was bad just now, what did you say? Zero Nine: I was saying, Host, it looks like they found other parts of the corpse. Xin Lan shifted her attention back to the current situation. Pi Tianzi was coming out of the room holding a hand, and her facial expression looked very disgusted. Zero Nine: The hand shes holding is the right hand. The one we initially saw was the left hand. Xin Lan pondered for a moment, not quite understanding what the young man was trying to imply. Indeed, at the beginning, the left hand came out and wandered around on its own, but now that they need to piece everything together, why is it hiding? There is a question: If the person can control their body, why not let those bodies appear on their own and automatically assemble themselves? Could it be that the left hand at the beginning wasnt controlled by the young man, and there is someone else involved? But this possibility seems unlikely. If it does exist, then that would mean the person dismembering the body is behind all this. Does this also imply that if the hand wasnt controlled by the boy but by someone else, then the murderer is among them? However, it seems like that might not be the case. In the beginning, the hand blocked the light and didnt let her turn it on. But when Pi Tianzi arrived, the light turned on automatically. This might be part of the game, just like the message Qi Haolin received when he first joined the game, stating that it would start once everyone was present. Several possibilities were spinning in Xin Lans mind as Ren Difei sat beside her, yawning and rubbing his eyes. Ren Difei was really hungry, and the best way to fight hunger was to sleep. But at this moment, who dares to sleep? Isnt that just seeking death? Hey, you two, were the ones looking for the remaining parts, and you two are sitting here like youre just watching a show. Isnt that too much? Pi Tianzi came out from the big room and saw the two of them looking dissatisfied while leaning on the sofa. Xin Lan remained silent, still closing her eyes with steady breathing. Ren Difei also pretended not to hear, imitating not daring to act bold, but being cowardly was still acceptable. If you two dont want to go up, then just dont go up. Pi Tianzis anger flared up, and she raised her umbrella. Xin Lan opened her eyes and glanced at her indifferently. As if greatly provoked, Pi Tianzi pointed the tip of her umbrella at Xin Lan. The womans eyes just now were full of contempt, as if she regarded Xin Lan with disdain, like looking at an ant. It was really uncomfortable to be seen that way. Pi Tianzi remembered her agreement with Qi Haolin and glanced at the violin next to Xin Lan on the sofa. She decided to take the initiative. She rushed towards Xin Lan, but her target was not Xin Lan herself, but the violin beside her. Didnt Qi Haolin say this womans violin was very powerful? Pi Tianzi kicked her props away, lets see what she could do. Although Pi Tianzis umbrella was somewhat formidable, her movements were slow and full of loopholes from Xin Lans perspective. In that instant when she pounced, Xin Lan picked up the violin from the ground and swung it, hitting Pi Tianzi right in the heart, sending her flying. It was all over in the blink of an eye. Ren Difei saw a figure rushing up and then flying out, only to realize that Pi Tianzi had made a move. Yu Wan Yan looked at her violin, hesitating to speak. This violin wasnt meant to be used like this Oh well, Xin Lan can use it however she wants. This thing is pretty sturdy anyway. As expected, Pi Tianzi didnt fly out and crash into the wall as Xin Lan had anticipated. Her umbrella had been opened, and she was floating in mid-air. Quite interesting. This umbrella can make people fly when opened and can be used as a weapon when closed. Its quite practical, probably the most useful thing after the violin and the green hat. Pi Tianzi frowned, enduring the pain of being knocked out, didnt expect this woman to be quite formidable. Her reaction speed was surprisingly fast, and even when not playing the violin, she could use it as a weapon. Qi Haolin came out when he heard the noise and found that the battle had already begun. Without hesitation, he summoned three ghosts. The three female ghosts each had their own characteristics. One had a long, extended tongue, one crawled on the ground, and the other floated in mid-air, all rushing towards Xin Lan. When the three ghosts appeared, both Ren Difei and Pi Tianzi were startled. They thought these ghosts had materialized out of thin air and were their opponents. Why are you standing there? Go on, those ghosts were summoned by me. Dont forget your promise! Qi Haolin urged Pi Tianzi in mid-air. She looked at him with surprise, feeling a sinking sensation in her heart. She didnt expect this man to have such remarkable abilities, being able to summon several ghosts. It was much more powerful than her personally taking action. However, this man had said that he couldnt defeat the woman sitting there. Pi Tianzi gritted her teeth and still went forward. Since they had already taken action, in the end, only one person could come out alive. Sooner or later, they would become opponents, so it was better to join forces and take down this woman together. As the three ghosts rushed towards her, Xin Lan had already swung her violin, sending the closest one flying. One foot stepped on the ghost with the long tongue, and she used the violin to whip it a couple of times, leaving it slightly dazed before lifting it to strike the floating ghost. In the opening when she retracted her hand, an umbrella thrust towards her. She dodged to the side and agilely flipped behind the sofa. She was about to reach for the bow of the violin when the ghost with the long tongue rolled it and flung the bow away. Ren Difei wanted to help Xin Lan retrieve the bow, but Qi Haolin suppressed him. Qi Haolin was much stronger and easily restrained Ren Difei. Ren Difei struggled hard under Qi Haolins restraint, but he was hit in the abdomen by Qi Haolins punches and almost vomited acid. He slumped to the ground. Qi Haolin looked at him disdainfully, grabbed his collar, and delivered another punch to his face. Ren Difei fell to the ground, and Xin Lan frowned at the scene. She couldnt afford to be distracted now. The three female ghosts were trying to stick to her, with Pi Tianzi attempting to stab her. Xin Lan grabbed the ghost that was floating towards her neck and threw it towards the one with the long tongue. She shifted her posture to avoid the umbrella that was thrust at her and ruthlessly stomped on the one crawling on the ground. Yu Wan Yan watched anxiously from the side and decided to use her power to hand the bow to Xin Lan. A ghostly figure emerged from the green hat and looked at Yu Wan Yan with surprise. The game rules forbid us from personally intervening; youre breaking the rules. I didnt personally attack anyone; I just handed something over. Besides, my violin and bow should be a set, Yu Wan Yan paused for a moment, Besides, even if I broke the rules, what can you do? CH 60 Great Demon King 19 After some contemplation, Zhen Zhen felt like she couldnt do anything to Yu Wan Yan. Well, do as you please. I havent seen anything. Zhen Zhen shrugged, pretending to be clueless. Xin Lan gripped her bow, looking at Yu Wan Yan in astonishment. Yu Wan Yan met her gaze and gave her a shallow smile. Actually, even without this violin, the three ghosts couldnt be killed by human strength. Xin Lan was getting a little annoyed with their persistence. The bow was placed on the strings of the violin, and the notes were played. The female ghost closest to Xin Lans body trembled, showing lacerations on her body. Qi Haolins expression changed when he saw this. This violin could tear the ghosts apart, making it pointless for them to approach Xin Lan. Wasnt all their effort in vain? The music was no longer gentle but carried a sense of killing intent, with a fast-paced rhythm, stirring up a whirlwind on the ground, crushing anything that came close. The ghost floating in the air was unfortunately strangled to death, while the other two ghosts, under Qi Haolins instructions, took a few steps back to avoid the deadly wind blade. Pi Tianzis umbrella shook as soon as it entered, forcing her to retract it. The music stopped, and the wind ceased. It seems you havent learned your lesson yet. Xin Lan said, looking at Qi Haolin, who clenched his fist. Lets kill her together, or else well all die right now! Qi Haolin said sharply, looking at Pi Tianzi. Following his command, seven or eight ghostly figures appeared in the room. Is he crazy? Hes just one person, he cant handle so many ghosts on his own. Zhen Zhen frowned, feeling troubled. After summoning those ghosts, Qi Haolin leaned weakly against the wall. With each ghost he summoned, his body grew weaker, feeling as if he was being drained, and his head was throbbing with pain. Through the numerous ghostly figures, he could see Xin Lan surrounded, and a smirk formed on his lips. He refused to believe that he couldnt kill her this time. Pi Tianzi let go of her umbrella, thrusting it towards Xin Lan. The sound of the violin continued to resonate, but the summoned eight ghosts, along with the previous two, unexpectedly formed a cluster and closed in towards the center of the wind. Xin Lan was almost surrounded by the ghosts, and the music became lower and lower. Yu Wan Yan furrowed her brows, ready to reach out, but someone grabbed her. Yu Wan Yan, dont break the rules. A delicate and beautiful girl emerged from the umbrella, looking disapprovingly at Yu Wan Yan. Who do you think you are to meddle? Yu Wan Yan glanced coldly at her and continued to watch the situation on Xin Lans side. The music had completely stopped. Would Xin Lan be alright? She was so strong, she shouldnt be defeated so easily, right? Zhen Zhen, arent you going to stop her? We all agreed not to help. What are you saying? I cant understand, you know, I have poor eyesight and cant see anything. Zhen Zhen, who was called out, shrugged her shoulders and exaggeratedly acted out her ignorance. While everyone else wanted to leave, she didnt feel like it. So, the rule didnt matter to her. She decided not to intervene, and others could do as they pleased. You! Qi Haolin couldnt see the three ghosts conversing in the room and nervously watched Xin Lan, who was surrounded by the ghosts. It had to succeed, it had to! Xin Lan was originally playing the violin, but she noticed that ten ghosts were converging into a cluster, approaching her with clear intent, even if some of them outside were torn to powder. The faces of those ghosts were eerie and terrifying. Xin Lan deliberately slowed down the music, allowing them to come closer. When the ghosts were about to pounce and bite, she swiftly used the violin to fend one of them away, while also sensing something else approaching. She dodged to the side and, at the same time, heard a ghostly howl. Yu Wan Yan let out a sigh of relief, her face showing a relaxed expression. Xin Lan turned around and saw that the umbrella that was supposed to attack her had impaled one of the ghosts. The ghost let out a chilling scream and dissipated into the air. Zero Nine: Congratulations to this student for achieving an assist accomplishment Thank you. Xin Lan smiled and thanked Pi Tianzi. Pi Tianzi almost vomited blood, and Qi Haolin was frustrated to see one of his ghosts gone. However, he knew he couldnt rebuke at this moment. The disappearance of one ghost didnt hinder the other nine ghosts. They continued to rush towards Xin Lan. This time, Pi Tianzi dared not act rashly. What if she accidentally stabbed a friendly ghost to death? Qi Haolin felt anxious when he saw Pi Tianzi hesitating. He formed an alliance with her because he knew he couldnt handle Xin Lan alone, which was why they joined forces. But now that Pi Tianzi wasnt taking action, he felt like he was left to fight alone. Moreover, he witnessed the scene where Pi Tianzis umbrella accidentally harmed one of his ghosts, leaving him feeling drained. Xin Lan raised her violin again. She wasnt foolish enough to attack the ghosts head-on. Even if she tore them apart, they could still move, unless she severely injured them. She could deal with two or three of them, but dealing with all nine of them individually would be troublesome. Using a tool would be more efficient. Why dont you attack? What are you hesitating for? Qi Haolin anxiously urged Pi Tianzi as he saw her still standing with the umbrella, observing the situation. At this moment, Pi Tianzis umbrella left her hand and moved towards Xin Lan at the center, but it was blocked and returned to Pi Tianzis hand. Pi Tianzi muttered in frustration and anxiously held onto her umbrella. This woman was unexpectedly strong. If she had known, she wouldnt have formed an alliance with Qi Haolin. Now that they had been so clearly provoked, if they couldnt defeat her, they would definitely die here. With these thoughts in mind, Pi Tianzi glared at Qi Haolin, forgetting that it was she who initiated the provocation and took action without informing Qi Haolin. Qi Haolin watched his two ghosts unable to withstand the situation and dissipate into the air. Annoyed, he made the remaining seven ghosts step aside. This is unfair! Why was Xin Lans violin so powerful? It could withstand attacks from so many of his ghosts. This was impossible to win. If they couldnt win this game, how could they continue? Its just that youre too weak, dont blame the game for being unfair. Xin Lan said, stopping her actions, and the music came to an abrupt halt. She found this green hat quite nice. At least, she didnt have to get her hands dirty to fight, and it even had area-of-effect attacks. What a great item! Zhen Zhen agreed with Xin Lans words. Her green hat was indeed very powerful. At this moment, Qi Haolin, Pi Tianzi, and Xin Lan formed a triangular formation. Pi Tianzi held her small umbrella firmly, ready for action, while Qi Haolins seven female ghosts stared at Xin Lan with hostility. Xin Lan remained calm, glancing at Qi Haolin and then at Pi Tianzi. Neither of them could defeat her in a one-on-one fight, so they had to team up. However, if they joined forces, Pi Tianzis umbrella could harm Qi Haolins ghosts. Thus, they were at a stalemate. Im too lazy to play with you. Xin Lan put down the violin and moved her wrist. Her demeanor suddenly changed, and she lowered her body, rushing towards Pi Tianzi. Her speed was so fast that Pi Tianzi couldnt react in time. She tried to use her umbrella to defend herself, but her arm was struck, causing a tingling sensation that made her let go of her umbrella. In an instant, Xin Lan subdued her on the ground, gripping her neck. Xin Lans knee pressed down on Pi Tianzis chest, and her grip tightened. Pi Tianzis legs struggled weakly, her face contorted from the lack of breath. She had never felt death so close to her. In that moment, she couldnt even think; her mind was blank. The fallen umbrella suddenly floated up and headed towards Xin Lans back. Xin Lan immediately moved aside, and the umbrella pierced into Pi Tianzis body. Blood splattered on Xin Lans body and face, causing her to furrow her brows. If she had known, she would have finished this person off in the first moment. She didnt strike hard initially because of a professional habit of wanting to taunt a bit more before dealing with adversaries. Villains always enjoyed mocking others before they died, but in the end, they would die before even uttering a word. Pi Tianzis eyes widened, still not fully comprehending what had just happened. She felt the blood slowly flowing out of her body, and the intense pain made it difficult for her to think. The appearance of the chandelier started to blur in front of her eyes as Pi Tianzi tried to move her fingers. How could this happen? She was supposed to be the one winning. She should have been right. Yu Wan Yan saw Xin Lan deal with someone so decisively and raised her thumbs up in admiration. Qi Haolin leaned against the wall, his face cold. With bloodstains on her face, Xin Lan approached Qi Haolin step by step. Qi Haolin felt a sense of panic, and he even hesitated to meet Xin Lans gaze. Her strength exceeded his imagination. Just a moment ago, when she attacked Pi Tianzi, she didnt even use any props. Her speed was so fast that it was hard to see clearly. In an instant, she was in front of Pi Tianzi, gripping her neck. The entire process took less than a minute, leaving Qi Haolin so shocked that he didnt even have time to command his ghosts to help Pi Tianzi. Pi Tianzi was already dead, and the next one to go might be him. But he didnt want to die. He was unwilling to accept that his game had failed like this. This was originally supposed to be everything he carefully designed. Although he didnt know the rules, he came in with great interest. However, that sense of interest disappeared at the first level. The current Xin Lan made him feel suffocated, and he had no gaming experience since the beginning of the game. Qi Haolins palms were constantly sweating, and he looked at Xin Lan, who was getting closer. He even flinched. Xin Lan looked at Qi Haolin, who was hiding behind the ghosts, finding it somewhat amusing. She picked up the violin nearby and beat the ghosts to death one by one. It was like smashing watermelonsomori. The heads of those ghosts exploded, turning into smoke and disappearing until the last ghost also vanished before their eyes. With no more cover, Qi Haolins face turned pale. Qi Haolin, do you still think you havent done anything wrong until now? Wrong? Ive never thought I was wrong. Qi Haolin stood upright, sneering as he spoke. Anyway, it was like a broken jar, and he didnt think he was wrong. Both she and I were willing, you understand? I didnt force her; she willingly threw herself at me, and I didnt care. I was the one who pursued her first, so what? In the end, I got bored and kicked her away, Qi Haolin sneered. I dont know what you are, yes, you are stronger, more powerful, but so what? I just feel that Im not wrong, shes foolish and deserves it! Xin Lan quietly watched him speak with disdain, not feeling angry but finding it ridiculous. She knew how these people would react to her actions C unwilling, resentful, and still believing they were in the right. Those who relied on manipulating others emotions were indeed skilled; they could make even seemingly hopeless people feel regret. But Xin Lan was still unwilling to change herself in that way. She wouldnt compromise in front of scum, even if she changed departments. For no other reason, simply to avoid disgusting herself. I admire your ignorant appearance because it makes me happier to fight you like this. Xin Lans lips slightly curled, and the next moment, she grabbed Qi Haolins hair and slammed his head hard against the wall. You seem too self-righteous, thinking that I would need your apology and remorse? She didnt need any of that. Making him feel like life was worse than death, suffering in pain, would be enough. CH 61 Great Demon King 20 Xin Lan didnt hold back; she directly slammed Qi Haolins head, causing blood to flow. However, it was just a single strike before she shifted her target. She didnt want Qi Haolin to die right away, but she also had no intention of letting him off easily. The impact left Qi Haolin seeing stars and his wrist was in excruciating pain. He let out a miserable scream, trembling all over. Initially, due to summoning too many spirits at once, he had become extremely weak, so weak that he couldnt even resist Xin Lan. After the impact, he was even more defenseless and incapable of fighting back. At this moment, he sat on the ground, his hands hanging weakly. Xin Lan stepped on his hand, crushing his fingers. Qi Haolin let out a pained cry, but his cheek was kicked by the tip of Xin Lans foot. You better hold back. If you cant help but make loud noises that disturb me, I wouldnt hesitate to cut off your tongue. Xin Lan said calmly, and there was no doubt about the sincerity behind her words. Qi Haolin almost trembled in terror as he tightly sealed his mouth shut. He wasnt afraid of fighting to the death with someone, nor was he afraid of dying altogether, but he dreaded being tortured, like a blunt knife slowly cutting through flesh, causing excruciating pain with each stroke. Ren Difei was not far away, looking extremely disheveled with a swollen and bruised face. He lay on the ground, unable to get up, but he could hear everything clearly and knew the current situation. He felt a sense of fear and couldnt help but tremble. As he suspected, it was indeed the Boss Lady. Now that all the others were already dead, except for the man the Boss Lady wanted to torture, only he was left. Ren Difei closed his eyes in agony, and before he met his end, he was determined to plead with the Boss Lady to let him go with some dignity. Equally terrified as Ren Difei was Zhen Zhen, who stood nearby. Your Boss really gives us a feeling thats even more terrifying than ourselves. Zhen Zhen said while involuntarily shivering. She didnt dare to mention the word prey. Clearly, this person was more like a hunter than a prey. Who could be more terrifying than ghosts? Yu Wan Yan smiled but remained silent; she had long known how formidable she was. Congratulations in advance; you can leave now. Hearing these words, Yu Wan Yan raised an eyebrow, and the smile on her face diminished slightly. Why? Arent you happy? Its hard to say. In fact, Yu Wan Yan felt somewhat useless compared to other participants in this game. Unlike them, Xin Lan didnt rely on her for anything. Xin Lan also didnt communicate with her; it was as if she was merely a transparent figure moving before Xin Lan, unable to stir even the slightest ripple in her heart. This seemed to be natural, Yu Wan Yan told herself. There was no need for her and Xin Lan to form any essential connection. In this game, they were bound by the roles of ally and playerwhen Xin Lan went out, she went out; when Xin Lan died, she would consume her, thats all. But for some reason, she couldnt shake off the feeling of disappointment. It was an inexplicable and unwarranted sense of loss. There seemed to be a voice in her heart urging her to get closer and closer, but when she tried to strike up a conversation, she lost that courage. Its hard to describe, but seeing Xin Lans actions, she couldnt think much and couldnt generate any thoughts. At this moment, Xin Lan was still torturing Qi Haolin. Qi Haolin was threatened into silence by her, and Xin Lan was quite satisfied. So she went on to disable Qi Haolins other hand. Let me think about where it would be better to strike next, the left leg or the right leg. How about you give me some advice? Xin Lan looked at Qi Haolin, observing his expression of pain and despair, and her smile on her face grew even more intense. Its best to be like this, full of unwilling resentment even until the moment of death, with a heart filled with hatred and animosity. Thats the best way to torture. If someone willingly embraces death, then it would be a bit disgusting. Just kill me, please, just kill me. Qi Haolin murmured, his voice weak. Want to die? It wont be that easy. Living is a hundred times harder than death. Sometimes, death feels so much easier. Living involves suffering, grinding down ones will, and thats what makes it terrifying. Left leg first, or right leg first, Ill give you the chance to choose. Though it didnt make much difference, as either leg would be crippled, giving him the opportunity to choose showed a bit of leniency. In truth, Xin Lan didnt enjoy tormenting others, but in this mission, she had to do it herself. Your Boss is so ruthless. Can you ask her when shell finally kill this person, so I can eat him up? Zhen Zhen noticed that Xin Lan seemed to be enjoying the slow play and quickly asked Yu Wan Yan to help her inquire. Each cooperating spirit was invisible to others, and their conversations were also unheard by others. Yu Wan Yan was an exception because she was more formidable. Um, Xin Lan, Miss Green Hat is asking when youll let him die? Yu Wan Yan called out Xin Lans name, feeling a somewhat inexplicable sensation in her heart. Before going out. After hearing the answer, Zhen Zhen didnt dwell on it and instead became curious about something else. Whats the meaning behind Miss Green Hat as the nickname? Isnt it fitting and descriptive? Fitting and descriptive. Zhen Zhen nodded silently, observing Yu Wan Yans expression. Qi Haolin didnt understand why Xin Lan suddenly said something inexplicable, but he didnt have the strength to question it. He collapsed to the ground. If he hadnt summoned so many spirits at once, he would probably have the strength to resist now, although he knew deep down that resistance might not be effective. Dont want to choose? Xin Lan lowered her head, looking at Qi Haolin. Qi Haolins eyes were already closed, showing a resigned expression as if saying, Do whatever you want. Xin Lan squinted her eyes, gripping Qi Haolins chin. Do you really think what you see on TV dramas is real? You want to imitate biting your tongue to death? Xin Lan sneered, looking at the faint trace of blood on Qi Haolins tongue. Biting ones tongue to death is an extremely difficult way to die, not something most people can handle. The level of pain is much greater than cutting ones wrist or hanging oneself. Qi Haolin felt somewhat irritated, lowering his eyes and remaining silent. The blood on his head had not yet dried, and the dark red color was alarming. Xin Lan hated it when she caused trouble and faced such a deadpan expression. It made her lose interest in tormenting. Arent you supposed to be formidable? Dont you like this game? Werent you the one who tricked people into entering it? So, why are you pretending to be dead now? Qi Haolin was taken aback by Xin Lans mocking words. It turns out this person knew, which wasnt surprising considering the strange creature that inexplicably appeared inside Xin Lans body would also know. To prevent Qi Haolin from doing anything extreme again, Xin Lan tore off a piece of cloth from his shirt and stuffed it into his mouth. Although they couldnt hear Qi Haolins voice anymore due to the cloth stuffed in his mouth, at least they didnt have to listen to his miserable screams, and it prevented Qi Haolin from attempting suicide in a fit of madness. Ren Difeis composure was shaken upon hearing Xin Lans words, and he got up from the ground. Are you saying he knows theres danger in here? At first, Ren Difei was excited. He enjoyed supernatural and horror stories. However, after that initial excitement subsided, he became afraid. Though he might say it doesnt matter if he dies, who the hell really wants to die? He hadnt lived enough yet. Experiencing such a thing firsthand and being deceived into encountering it are completely different feelings. He looked at the man on the ground, clenching his fists tightly. Getting out of this game will earn you one billion. How much?! One billion. Ren Difei gulped, feeling tearless and speechless, Do you know youre tempting me with riches? Xin Lan raised an eyebrow, Tempting you how? Never mind, never mind. In just one second, Ren Difei went from angry to timid, regretting why he had to learn about such a cruel truth. Originally, he was furious, but money extinguished his anger, and he was even happily considering how he would become instantly rich with one billion. But that one billion seemed to have nothing to do with him. He was just a tiny step away from death. Reality can be so cruel. Ren Difei snapped out of the cruel reality, and the anger returned. He wanted to give Qi Haolin a few punches. But when he looked down and saw Qi Haolin with a broken head, blood flowing, twisted arms, mouth stuffed, and legs battered into a bloody mess, he hesitated. Given the state Qi Haolin was in, there didnt seem to be a need to do anything more. Ren Difei was about to leave, but he couldnt help but touch his swollen face, feeling annoyed again. So, he spat at Qi Haolin and raised his middle finger as a sign of disdain. Xin Lan fell silent for a moment, finding this provocation rather weak. Qi Haolin saw it and felt angry, but he couldnt do anything. He was now in a state of heavy breathing and exhaustion. He had never been in such a pathetic state before. The intense pain in his body was no longer his primary concern; he wanted liberation, but there was no escape. Look at yourself now. Xin Lan looked down on him, her eyes filled with undisguised mockery. Is this the kind of thrill you were seeking, huh? Xin Lan didnt even want to bother recounting the annoying things this despicable guy had done. While he had committed enough sins to deserve severe punishment, such as manipulating emotions, freeloading, and ultimately kicking someone out while taking away all their money, he was just a vile person who deserved to be despised by everyone. If it were only that, Xin Lan wouldnt have bothered tormenting him so much. The real issue was the malicious intentions he had revealed within this game. Xin Lan let out a sigh, having vented her frustration for the time being. She clapped her hands and sat on the sofa. Alright, now that everything is settled, we just need to complete the mission of this game. Ren Difei saw Xin Lan sitting on the sofa and also sat down, feeling uneasy. Now, it seemed like there were only two living people lefthimself and the Boss Lady. The person lying on the ground could only be considered half alive, and who knew when he might die. And theres another important question: Is the Boss Lady a living person? She probably is. But regardless of whether she is or not, Ren Difei feels powerless to resist. He is filled with despair. Pi Tianzis body had disappeared into thin air a few minutes ago, leaving only the blood splatters as evidence. If it werent for that, Ren Difei might have thought she had never appeared at all. This game is truly unfriendly to ordinary people. Ren Difei finds it hard to imagine what would have happened if it werent for the Boss Lady; he might have been lost at the very beginning. Seeing the Boss Lady is calm and composed, Ren Difei also started to feel better about his state of mind. He knew it was impossible for him to face his impending death calmly, but he hoped that the Boss Lady would make his passing more peaceful, preferably painless. Xin Lan rested on the sofa for a while and then began to search for the remaining parts of the body. Zero Nines scanning was ineffective, and she was eating chicken legs in the system space. Can it still move? Xin Lan looked at Ren Difei. Ren Difei shuddered all over and nodded. If it can move, then why havent you gotten up yet? Immediately, Ren Difei stood up from the sofa, driven by a strong will to survive. Xin Lan and Ren Difei resumed searching this level, looking for the remaining body parts. In the first room that was opened, Xin Lan saw a large bed, and the wardrobe was open with clothes scattered inside. It seemed that it was done by Pi Tianzi or Qi Haolin when they came to search earlier. Those clothes looked like ballet outfits, which immediately reminded Xin Lan of the ballet shoes she found under the sofa in the large room. When she connected it to the mirror in the last room, she started to suspect that the culprit might be someone who enjoys ballet dancing. Xin Lan searched the room thoroughly but didnt find anything. Ren Difei came out from the second room and shook his head at Xin Lan. Xin Lan furrowed her brows. The game wouldnt intentionally deceive them, so the missing parts of the body must be somewhere in this level; they just hadnt found them yet. They were still missing one hand, two feet, two eyes, and a bunch of organs. Xin Lan remained silent, and at this moment, Ren Difei couldnt gather the courage to talk to her either. The atmosphere became somewhat heavy. Do you need my help? Yu Wan Yan said softly, her eyes fixed on Xin Lan, carefully observing her reaction. Can you do it? Is there anything I cant do? Yu Wan Yan smirked. After all, there was no one to object, so why couldnt she help? Its no trouble. Ren Difei looked a bit bewildered as he observed Xin Lan muttering to herself, initially thinking she was speaking to him. But as he listened, he realized something was off, and he was glad he hadnt spoken earlier. Yu Wan Yan led Xin Lan to the hidden area and found the two missing feet. Then, she brought her to the dance studio. The room was filled with mirrors, reflecting everything from left to right, even the ceiling and the floor. Upon entering, an inexplicable sense of fear engulfed them. Even though they stood there, surrounded by their own reflections, they felt a certain pressure, as if something was hiding within those reflections, ready to appear at any moment. Behind the mirrors? Yes. Yu Wan Yan reached out and touched the mirror beneath her feet. From the point of her touch, the mirror started to shatter, spreading cracks in all directions. With a crisp sound, Xin Lan saw a middle-aged woman lying with her eyes closed inside the shattered mirror. She looked somewhat affluent and adorned with expensive jewelry. This Ren Difei observed the woman lying in the mirror. Obviously, she couldnt be alive. In a typical story, unrelated elements wouldnt appear, so this woman was either the perpetrator of the dismemberment, an accomplice, or a victim. In her belly. Yu Wan Yan said, and as she gestured above the woman, her belly started to get sliced open little by little. Inside, there was a pile of sticky and nauseating substances. Are these, organs? Ren Difei approached, his stomach convulsing. Obviously. However, they dont belong to her. Take them back. Ren Difei didnt dare to say anything and tremblingly reached out his hand to retrieve the organs. Oh my god, there are still a pair of feet in there, gross! Ren Difei turned around and started to retch, looking visibly distressed. Xin Lan frowned, understanding that he was hungry and seeing such things could be very uncomfortable for him. After finishing his bout of nausea, Ren Difei continued to search the contents. How did she manage to put all these things intact inside her body? Undoubtedly, the pair of feet belonged to the body, including the organs, but those feet were still intact as a whole. For a human body, it was impossible to fit them in so neatly. Xin Lan didnt answer him, just staring at the woman. After Ren Difei took out all the organs and the feet, the woman suddenly opened her eyes and lunged at Ren Difei. Be careful! Xin Lan pulled Ren Difei back and confronted the woman herself. However, before the woman could reach her, Yu Wan Yan stood in front of her. With a scream, the woman fell to the ground. Can you just casually intervene like that? Xin Lans curiosity outweighed her gratitude. When Yu Wan Yan had helped her before, she could still convince herself that Yu Wan Yan had only told her where things were, which didnt violate any rules. But now, Yu Wan Yan not only appeared and communicated but also took action. I think I can. So, naturally, I can, Yu Wan Yan said, pulling a slight smile. Although she should have been an observer, like Zhen Zhen and the others, not appearing and not interacting. She was doing the opposite now C appearing, communicating, and even taking action. Its hard to describe that feeling; its like feeling uncomfortable while being an observer. The rules, actually, didnt specify so much; it was their own agreement. But now, with those people dead and Zhen Zhen not caring, and the detective persona not coming out in Ren Difei, it seemed like she could do whatever she wanted. Even though Xin Lan knew she didnt need help, Yu Wan Yan still took action. Thank you. There wasnt much to say, so thank you was the best way to express it. Yu Wan Yan wanted to say something more, but in the end, she didnt say anything. Finally, they were missing one hand, the one that appeared at the beginning and then mysteriously disappeared. Yu Wan Yan informed them that it could be found in the large room. Xin Lan walked back to the large room, where the pieces of the body were assembled like a puzzle, with a visual effect that looked strange due to the severed connection. The hand was holding an empty glass bottle, the same bottle Ren Difei had found in the toilet tank earlier, which Yu Wan Yan said was very important to the young man. Xin Lan looked at the bottle and the hand, contemplating whether she should reach up and take it down. However, before Xin Lan could reach up and take it down, the hand moved on its own, walking towards the nearly assembled body on the ground. When the body was fully assembled, it disappeared into thin air, and a delicate young man appeared before Xin Lan. He lightly touched Xin Lans hand, giving her a slight chill. Xin Lan knew that it was the key. As Xin Lan left the room, the young man was holding his bottle, looking down at it. Xin Lan was curious but didnt ask. This level is still quite simple. In fact, this game was relatively straightforward for her. The things she needed to solve were not too difficult; it was only a matter of time. There were few things that posed a challenge to her, at least not at the moment. The bottle contains light. Light? Yes, Yu Wan Yan nodded, It was a rare sight of light, and he captured it in a bottle. Even though they knew that sunlight couldnt be contained in a bottle, if they believed it was captured, then even the cold surface of the bottle would feel warm when tightly held. Xin Lan fell silent; it wasnt a pleasant story at all. They ascended the stairs to the third floor, with Xin Lan dragging Qi Haolin step by step. Qi Haolin was now extremely weak, his limbs paralyzed, with only his brain still functioning. Each dragging step up the stairs was tormenting for him, both physically and psychologically. He glared at Xin Lan with resentment, and Xin Lan lowered her head, meeting his gaze with a smile. The third floor was also dark, and it only brightened when Ren Difei also arrived. Upon seeing the situation before him, Ren Difei gasped in surprise. In front of them was not a gruesome murder scene, but only photographs, lots and lots of photographs. The walls on both sides and the ceiling were covered with photographs, and the protagonist in all these photos was the same person. They were either standing or lying, crying or laughing, making people feel their scalp tingling and their backs chilling. Ren Difei touched the goosebumps on his arm. Although this guy looked quite handsome, the overwhelming and densely packed feeling of these photos made him feel face-blind and unable to look at this face anymore. After looking at them for too long, he even felt a bit nauseous. This was even crazier than the paparazzi. Although they would click-click-click while taking sneak shots, they werent so obsessed. It seemed like a scene of a massive stalker. When Xin Lan first saw so many photographs, her eyes also felt a bit sore. She had encountered extremely crazy fans before, with their homes filled with photo posters, completely packed. A single glance would reveal their fanaticism, and this situation was somewhat similar to what she had seen before. On the walls and ceiling, each photograph was meticulously placed, leaving no blank spaces. Fortunately, the floor was not covered with photos yet. Ren Difei shook his head; no matter how good-looking a person was, they couldnt withstand being seen like this. He truly felt uncomfortable now and could only stare at the floor. This floor was quiet, unlike the second floor, which was more direct. It was somewhat similar to the situation on the first floor, where they had to explore on their own. The layout on each floor was almost the same, with a living room, kitchen, bedrooms, and so on. What Xin Lan saw was the situation in the living room. Only when she opened the bedroom door and the doors to the guest rooms did she realize that the living room was not the most extreme. My eyes Ren Difeis head started to ache, and he glanced at the floor, trying to catch his breath. In each room, there were also photographs covering all the walls, ceilings, and even every inch of the desks. This feeling is as if the subject of the photographs is staring at you, constantly, from every angle. Not quite mentally normal. But then again, it seems like those involved in this three-floor setup arent normal at all. The first and second floors both displayed a twisted emotional attachment and obsession, and this one is likely no different. The only question is whether there are any victims. If there are any, its probably the person in these photographs. After inspecting all the rooms and arrangements on this floor, Xin Lan felt a bit numb. Lets not even mention the rooms; there are even photos and Q-version (cartoonish) images in the kitchen, bathroom, and balcony. This obsession is truly over-the-top. Staying in such a room all day would drive anyone crazy, even if they werent sick to begin with. However, when Xin Lan opened the wardrobe, she discovered that it wasnt the most extreme aspect. Every single piece of clothing had either a photograph or a Q-version image on it. She tentatively concluded that the person was likely a girl because the wardrobe was full of womens clothing. There were many cosmetics on the dressing table, and the bathroom was filled with skincare products. Of course, the possibility of it being a cross-dressing boy couldnt be ruled out. But what caught Xin Lans attention was that there were two mugs in the living room, both with photos of the same guy on them. On the desk, there were also some sketches and drawings, all featuring the same protagonist. However, there werent many crucial clues. No corpses or peculiar propsjust an abundance of photographs and artwork, which clearly demonstrated the rooms owners intense affection or obsession for the subject in the photographs. Xin Lan was aesthetically fatigued to the point of exhaustion. Even looking at Yu Wan Yan standing nearby seemed extremely pleasing. When Xin Lan returned to the living room and saw Qi Haolin lying on the floor, barely conscious with closed eyes, he even seemed much more agreeable to her. CH 62 Great Demon King 21 An overly obsessive love can instill fear in people, unless it is mutual. After circling around, Xin Lan has only one question: Where is the path to the rooftop? According to the rules of the game, after passing the third level, only one person can reach the rooftop. However, on this level, there are no stairs at all, and it seems impossible to go up from the surface. Xin Lan contemplated without uttering a word, and Ren Difei remained silent as well. Qi Haolin, lying on the ground, was in a state of unconsciousness, with his brows furrowed. Watch over him. Xin Lan said to Ren Difei before heading into the bedroom on this level. The photos were densely posted on the wall, especially on the one opposite the master bed, where a pile of frontal shots could be seen. If one were to sit on the bed, it would appear as if numerous identical-looking men were smiling back at them. Xin Lan asked Zero Nine to initiate a scan and found a box under the cabinet. Compared to everything else in this level, the box could be considered the most ordinary decoration. It was just an ordinary tin box with no decorations or photos on it. Its worth noting that even the spice containers in the kitchen and the toothbrushes in the bathroom had photos pasted on them, so a box without anything stuck on it was truly pleasing to the eye. Xin Lan opened the box, and inside, there was a small notebook. Logically, this could be an important clue. This notebook seems to have some age to it, with its pages slightly yellowed. On the title page, there are a few lines of elegant and graceful handwriting. CThe hooves of my horse are beautiful mistakes. CI am not a wanderer; I am a passerby. Zero Nine: This is a modern poem from this world, Mistake by Zheng Chouyu. Xin Lan: Whats the rest of the poem? Zero Nine: I walked through Jiangnan by the river. Waiting in the seasons, your countenance is like the opening and falling of lotus flowers. The east wind does not come; in March, willow catkins do not fly. Your heart is like a tiny, lonely city, Just like the late evening on a bluestone street, No sound of footsteps, the spring curtain of March remains closed. Your heart is a small, tightly shut door and window. The hooves of my horse are beautiful mistakes. I am not a settler; I am a passerby. Xin Lan raised an eyebrow, pondered for a moment, and then began flipping through the pages. The notebook didnt contain much content; only a few pages at the beginning were filled with words. This idea has been swirling in my mind countless times, and I dont know if I have the courage to fulfill it because its insane. I got what I wanted; it brings both happiness and pain. In her eyes, I see joy and hatred. I heard that her secrets are hidden on the rooftop. I will eventually pay the price for my madness, and so will she. I am not a settler; Im just a passerby. This is a mistake, a mistake from beginning to end. Xin Lans gaze lingered on the page with the mention of the rooftop; undoubtedly, this was a matter of emotions, and the mentioned she should be the owner of the house. She closed the notebook and, looking around at the room filled with photos, felt a slight discomfort in her eyes. However, her main reason for entering this room wasnt primarily to search for these items; otherwise, there would be no need to avoid Ren Difei. She looked at Yu Wan Yan, and Yu Wan Yan tilted her head, meeting her gaze. Do you want to leave here? Why do you ask like that? Yu Wan Yan neither confirmed nor denied it. I dont have any plans to leave, or rather, I dont have any plans to live. This opportunity was given to me, but its wasted. However, I still have control over my fate, and I believe you should understand what I mean. Xin Lan gazed at Yu Wan Yan. This place was not her home, but it was for others. Between Ren Difei and Yu Wan Yan, Xin Lan had to choose one, and in this situation, she would choose Yu Wan Yan. After all, Yu Wan Yan had helped her, both with the violin and with herself. Yu Wan Yan didnt ask why; she furrowed her brows slightly and began to contemplate. Since the beginning of the game, Yu Wan Yan had been following Xin Lan closely, knowing everything Xin Lan said and did, including the conversation between Xin Lan and Qi Haolin earlier. Qi Haolin had been insisting that the Xin Lan in front of them was not the original one, but Yu Wan Yan didnt delve into it. It didnt matter to her if it was the same person or not because she didnt know the original one; she only recognized this version of Xin Lan. Now, Xin Lan was telling her that she didnt plan on living anymore. Yu Wan Yan didnt feel surprised or absurd. She could tell that Xin Lan didnt have suicidal intentions; she might just want to leave, to depart from this physical body. Where she would go, Yu Wan Yan didnt know. It was as if she was genuinely participating in the game, and when it was nearly reaching the end, or what she considered to be the end, she would leave happily. Why? Yu Wan Yan still asked. No reason. If I want to leave, would you choose me? Of course. Xin Lan wasnt a philanthropist, but as long as the other party cooperated and, if possible, she could help, she had no problem extending her assistance. Thats why she brought Ren Difei out when she reached the second level. She didnt necessarily need this opportunity for herself; she could give it to Ren Difei, provided that Yu Wan Yan chose not to leave. Considering the importance of each persons situation, Xin Lan naturally had to weigh her decision carefully. Upon hearing Xin Lans words, Yu Wan Yan felt somewhat pleased. This showed that she held some position in Xin Lans heart, even if it was just a little bit. She curved her lips into a smile and gave her answer to Xin Lan. Alright. Xin Lan nodded, acknowledging that she understood. What do we need to do in this level? Are we supposed to find the way out? More or less, but the process might be a bit complicated. The danger level isnt too high, Yu Wan Yan paused, I can also directly open a passage for you if you prefer. Isnt that against the rules? Xin Lan raised an eyebrow. It is, but it doesnt matter. Yu Wan Yan shrugged, and her long hair swayed with her movement. Rules are meant to be broken, right? At worst, well just disappear as a punishment. Xin Lan didnt hesitate for too long and nodded. The house and the tin box both seemed to be indicating that they held secrets. Xin Lan didnt mind whether they solved the mysteries or not, but she thought about Ren Difei for a moment. Ren Difei had gone without eating or drinking for almost a day now, and Yu Wan Yan mentioned that this level might be a bit complicated, which implied that the timeline could be stretched. Xin Lan had already anticipated that the final level might take more time, or else the second level wouldnt have pressured them to collect everything within a day. Yu Wan Yan walked in front of Xin Lan, and her figure emitted a faint glow. After she walked out, Xin Lan felt the ground beneath her feet shaking. After about half a minute, the shaking stopped. Yu Wan Yan, are you crazy? Zhen Zhen couldnt understand what Yu Wan Yan was doing. She watched as Yu Wan Yan chose someone to leave, leaving the other two completely defenseless, and then Yu Wan Yan opened the passage herself. This was a violation of the rules and could lead to being eradicated. Yu Wan Yan didnt explain; she simply looked in the direction Xin Lan pointed. Xin Lan mouthed a word of thanks to her, and Yu Wan Yan smiled and shook her head. Ren Difei couldnt see Yu Wan Yan and Zhen Zhen, feeling puzzled by the recent shaking. Could it be an earthquake? Ren Difei asked, but Xin Lan didnt answer. Instead, she went to the unconscious Qi Haolin. She bent down and gently patted Qi Haolins face, but seeing no sign of him waking up, she increased the force of her touch. Qi Haolin opened his eyes, looking somewhat dazed at first. But then his gaze became clearer, and he stared at Xin Lan with growing hatred. Ive found the way out. Do you want to leave? Xin Lan asked, lowering her head and inquiring with a somewhat pleased mood. Qi Haolin was momentarily stunned and looked at Xin Lan with suspicion, not knowing what game she was playing. Xin Lan initially planned to pretend and put on an act, but seeing Qi Haolins expression, she lost some interest in it. Dragging Qi Haolin along, Xin Lan arrived at the stairs leading to the rooftop. She pulled him step by step, causing him pain that made him even more awake. At the top, instead of a door, there was a circular light emitting a ray of hopeful radiance. Xin Lan released her grip and removed the cloth stuffed in Qi Haolins mouth. Do you see it? As long as you climb one more step, you can get out from here. Not only can you stay alive, but you can also get one billion. Xin Lan said with a smile, observing the skeptical expression on Qi Haolins face. Qi Haolin hesitated, unsure of Xin Lans intentions. Xin Lan couldnt possibly give up this opportunity, but she also knew that he wouldnt be satisfied with doing nothing. Thats a whole billion! He could stay alive and become immensely wealthy! What do you really want? Qi Haolins voice sounded hoarse, like sandpaper rubbing against each other, but his fingers were quietly moving. Just giving you a chance. Within one minute, if you can climb up, you win. If you cant, dont blame me for being ruthless. Although Qi Haolin found it strange, the opportunity was right in front of him, and not seizing it would be foolish. He mustered his strength, despite his body being covered in injuries. His hands were weak and lacked strength, and his legs throbbed with pain, but he couldnt give up. Qi Haolin gritted his teeth, using his bloody and mangled leg to brace against the stairs, struggling to move upward. Only one more step, and he would be free! The human potential is boundless, and Qi Haolin gradually struggled upward. He was so close to reaching it when suddenly he felt a pulling force, and he was yanked backward. You! Qi Haolin glared at Xin Lan, his expression fierce, his eyes bloodshot with excitement. He was about to succeed; he was almost there! One minute is up. Xin Lan said, smiling like a demon. Her appearance had a touch of wickedness. Normally, with her cold expression, she could be quite intimidating, but when she smiled like this, it exuded a sinister aura. Whether it was one minute or not didnt matter; after all, Xin Lan had the final say. But I can give you one more chance, considering how kind you were to me before. Xin Lan said, her smile filled with a profound meaning. Qi Haolin didnt want to waste even a second and immediately resumed climbing upward. But just when he was almost there, he was yanked back down again. Qi Haolin was on the verge of collapse and cursed fiercely at Xin Lan. He cursed with vulgar and offensive words, but Xin Lan was not angered. To her, it was merely the ranting of a mad dog C annoying, but it didnt matter. The more frenzied and agonized Qi Haolin became, the more hysterical he acted, the happier Xin Lan felt. Is it painful? Are you in despair? Xin Lan asked, smiling. It was time to repay the pain and despair inflicted on others. The best outcome would be to die in this state of unwillingness and powerlessness, maximizing the suffering. Qi Haolin gasped for breath, his heart filled with boundless hatred. He knew that this woman wouldnt let him off so easily; she was determined to torment him! Is this what you wanted? Qi Haolins voice was hoarse, feeling humiliated as he sensed the mockery in Xin Lans eyes. Just a little bit more to go. Can we make Miss Green Hat eat him now, or should we wait until after he dies? Xin Lan looked at Yu Wan Yan and inquired. Right now is fine. Although knowing that Xin Lan couldnt see her, Zhen Zhen still sounded very cheerful. CH 63 Great Demon King 22 Yu Wan Yan relayed the lush words. Xin Lan nodded and took a few steps back. In an instant, over a dozen ghostly figures appeared in the narrow stairwell. They crowded together and pounced towards the person lying on the ground. Qi Haolin let out a scream of agony, and the sound of flesh being chewed resonated in the air, sending shivers down ones spine. His body was surrounded by the group of female ghosts, not showing even the slightest gap. Xin Lan couldnt see it, but she could imagine the kind of scene it was. The cries of pain gradually subsided and then abruptly disappeared. As one of the female ghosts looked up, Xin Lan realized that it wasnt that Qi Haolin didnt want to scream anymore; his tongue had been directly consumed. The speed at which a dozen or so ghosts devoured a person was incredibly fast. Even though Qi Haolin was a robust man, within less than two minutes, only a skeleton remained. Though brief, the tormenting process didnt spare him from experiencing the depths of agony. Zero Nine: Host, its done. Give me a shout when youre leaving! Knowing that Xin Lan might still have unfinished business, Zero Nine informed her and then disappeared. Xin Lan looked at the white bones on the ground, watching as the bones disappeared. Ren Difei remained silent, standing awkwardly in place. He tugged at his clothes, speaking before Xin Lan could. Um How about I do it myself? As Ren Difei spoke, his voice was hesitant, and his body trembled along with his words. He was truly frightened, watching Xin Lan make people climb up and then pull them down, it was simply diabolical. Seeing that group of ghosts devour a fully grown person entirely only intensified his fear. If he had to die, he hoped he could make it quick and neat. Ren Difei sighed wryly in his heart. He was originally the weakest one. If he hadnt ingratiated himself with the right people, he might not have even been able to make it to the third floor. How are you going to handle this on your own? Xin Lan raised an eyebrow, observing Ren Difeis attempt to feign composure. Ren Difei began to contemplate his method of dying. The quickest way, of course, was to slit his throat, but there seemed to be no knife around, and the kitchen he had just seen didnt have one either. The more Ren Difei thought, the paler his face became. Without even a tool, how could he end his own life? Should he just crash into a wall and die? Would that be too painful? Xin Lan found Ren Difeis demeanor somewhat amusing, which only exacerbated his anxiety. You should leave. Xin Lan tilted her chin slightly toward Ren Difei. Me? Ren Difei pointed at himself, widening his eyes. You dont mean I also have to play that one-minute game, do you? Ren Difei was frightened. He was afraid that just as he was about to step outside, fate would grab him by the back of his neck and forcefully pull him back. Get it done as quickly as possible, before I change my mind. Xin Lan said without much sentiment. If Ren Difei kept dragging his feet, she would just kick him out. Ren Difeis inner world was a complex mix of fear, anxiety, doubt, and gratitude all at once. As he walked past Xin Lan, his legs felt weak. Xin Lan watched him step by step, originally not planning to bring anyone along. She had already prepared for the destruction that would unfold here. It could be said that looking obedient and well-behaved was quite endearing; perhaps luck might shine on him at some point. Xin Lan had no intention of prying into the secrets of this game and had little interest in this third level. If her initial goal in the house was to leave while dealing with some scum along the way, this time she couldnt be bothered with challenging the level, focusing mainly on dealing with the scum. She thought it might be because she had been on too many missions, making her more susceptible to fatigue. The repeated act of surviving in different identities, playing various roles, can easily lead to exhaustion over time. Before leaving, Xin Lan specifically thanked Yu Wan Yan. Im very grateful for your help. After I leave, you can consume me. There wasnt much else to say. When Yu Wan Yan told her she wouldnt leave, Xin Lan could only offer this final gesture using her current body. No need. Yu Wan Yans eyes softened, and her body gradually became transparent. Xin Lan wanted to say something, but then Zero Nine informed her that the logout time had come, and her consciousness was pulled away. When Xin Lan emerged from the mission room, her mood wasnt particularly good. She didnt like owing favors, especially ones she couldnt repay. Host, this time went well too. The energy points have been credited to your account! Mm. Xin Lan nodded but didnt check the details. She went straight back to her own room. Because of Yu Wan Yan, she felt a bit restless. It wasnt that she was being stubborn, but owing someone a favor without being able to repay it was truly vexing. The most distressing aspect of being a villain for Xin Lan was having loyal underlings sacrifice themselves for her. In the past, there was no choice, it was something villains had to endure. But now that she had choices, how did things end up like this? Xin Lan untied her long hair and furrowed her brow as she tousled it. Perhaps it was time to seek some relief; those restless emotions couldnt continue like this in a loop. While Xin Lan was feeling uneasy on one side, on the other side, Wan Yan wasnt doing much better. Thinking about the lack of progress in the mission world, her frustration was on the verge of overflowing. She immediately arranged to meet with her close friend to unburden herself. What? Youre saying you havent made any progress in a single world?! Orange slammed the table, her face showing a mix of exasperation and disappointment. Wan Yan nodded, her beautiful face concealing her emotions. In reality, she was in turmoil inside, close to tears. She hadnt expected things to turn out like this. Well Did you Did you give yourself any mental suggestions before entering? Although systems brought into mission worlds by non-hosts would have their memories wiped, they could still implant some mental suggestions. I did. Wan Yan nodded, recalling her mental process in the mission world, feeling a bit of a headache. Since youve implanted them, then go ahead! How is it possible that nothing happened at all? Wan Yan explained the details of her previous mission to Orange, who looked utterly shocked. This is the first time Ive seen someone want to go into a supernatural world to find love. Isnt that just crazy? It was her systems choice. Dont you know how to communicate with her system and switch to a romance-oriented setting? That doesnt sound good Wan Yan hesitated. Shell definitely be unhappy if she finds out. Just keep suppressing your desires, youll be stifled sooner or later. Orange took a bite of the squid skewer in front of her. This person really had no sense of romance. Wan Yan furrowed her brows, appearing deeply contemplative. Are you sure about this? You wont change it? Orange swallowed the squid in her mouth before responding. Because the other party was a mission taker, Orange wanted Wan Yan to think carefully. She had known Wan Yan for a long time. Wan Yan was the kind of system who appeared reserved and didnt talk much, giving off a serious AI vibe. But after spending time together, one would realize she was actually quite reserved yet seductive, with a hint of tsundere. As a good friend, Orange hoped that Wan Yans love would take root and flourish, and not come to an untimely end like the hosts who derailed their missions, a common occurrence on the forums. I wont change it. Wan Yan poked at the dessert in front of her with a spoon. Do you know, even when I watch her beating people up, I still find her incredibly cool. Do you know what kind of person she likes? I dont know, but I can try them all. Wan Yan had it all planned out C innocent and pure, tomboyish, aloof, enchanting, sweet C she had various styles ready. Surely, one of them would capture Xin Lans heart! Then you better give it your all! Aim to win her over sooner! I just want to get a bit closer to her right now. Wan Yan felt a bit helpless. She lacked experience and didnt know how to approach people. But opportunities always had a way of unexpectedly presenting themselves. Wan Yan sat in the coffee shop and saw a woman walking in. Xin Lan had just come out of the counseling room, having relieved her recent restlessness. Her mood was now quite calm. She placed her order and, as she looked up, noticed someone across from her, watching her. The person seemed somewhat familiar, as if they had met before. The individual smiled at her, their ice-blue eyes sparkling. Xin Lan politely nodded in response, waiting for the robot to bring her coffee and dessert. Wan Yan noticed that the last time, Xin Lan had also been sitting in the same spot, looking at her like this. The music in the cafe was soothing, and Wan Yan lowered her head, typing out a message on her screen. A05: What kind of world will you choose next time? Zero Nine: I havent decided yet. A05: Will it be another supernatural world? Zero Nine: Probably not, Chief. Which types of worlds have higher completion rates? A05: Entertainment industry, interstellar, fantasy, and similar genres all have decent completion rates, with the highest being the entertainment industry. For face-slapping department agents, the entertainment industry is a relatively easy world to complete missions in. Many times, theyll transmigrate into roles like scandalous stars, and they can completely utilize their exceptional acting skills and advanced abilities to turn the tables. Zero Nine: Then lets choose something in that direction for the next one. It could help my host relax a bit. Zero Nine began searching but found that entertainment industry missions were in high demand. She used her fastest reflexes to grab one, but upon seeing it, she seemed a bit stunned. Zero Nine: Chief, Ive sent you the mission coordinates. Ill notify you when its time to depart. A05: Alright. Wan Yan opened the coordinates and was a bit surprised when she saw the role assigned to her. For face-slapping missions, the original hosts were usually either vase characters, washed-up stars, or minor figures. But the mission that Zero Nine had secured Wan Yan put away her screen and looked at the woman across from her, elegantly sipping her coffee. Originally, she had thought she could become some sort of benefactor or sponsor, but now it seemed not so easy. When Xin Lan left, she saw the person still sitting across from her. Sometimes, that person gazed quietly in her direction, but their gaze didnt make her feel uncomfortable. As she left, the person even waved to bid her farewell. Xin Lan gave a faint smile, nodded, and walked out of the caf. Perhaps the counseling session had really worked. Even when someone stared at her, she didnt feel restless. When Xin Lan returned, Zero Nine excitedly approached her, mentioning that she had bought a lot of ingredients. Dont you think wed be a good fit for a post-apocalyptic world? At least with Zero Nine around, the scarce food in an apocalyptic world wouldnt be a concern for them. Great idea! Ill consider it next time. As they talked, Zero Nine followed Xin Lan into the mission room. In the next moment, everything spun around, and Xin Lan found herself standing in front of a door. The door had poor soundproofing, emitting ambiguous sounds from within. Memories of the original host flooded into Xin Lans mind, and she quickly began sorting through them. Xin Lan: Isnt this the ex-girlfriend series mission? How come in the original hosts memories, she was still the current girlfriend? Zero Nine: The original host only became the ex-girlfriend shortly before her death. If we were to set it to that time, it would be too late. Thats why this point in time was chosen for the mission. Xin Lan understood and took out her phone from her bag. The original host still shared her name and had the role of a talent manager. Zero Nine: Im sorry, host. Its my fault for not being quick enough, but Ive been single for so many years! Look at other hosts in the entertainment industry, theyre either top actors or actresses, or theyre washed-up stars or scandalous celebrities. At worst, theyre minor figures. I dont know how I ended up with this situation QwQ Xin Lan didnt feel bothered by it. She opened the video recording function on her phone and then opened the door in front of her. CH 64 Agent 01 At the moment she gently pushed the door open and walked in, Zero Nine, who was reading ahead in the plot, suddenly exclaimed, Oh my god! Zero Nine: Ah ah ah, Host, Im sorry, I didnt read carefully when I snatched the mission. This time, the target were going to expose isnt a scumbag guy, but a scumbag girl. You dont mind, do you? Actually, it doesnt matter whether you mind or not. Zero Nine rubbed her forehead, feeling a bit frustrated. She didnt expect there would be such an exception among this pile of missions. She thought they were all about heterosexual relationships, so she didnt pay close attention to gender. She didnt expect to draw a same-sex mission. Xin Lan: It doesnt matter. For Xin Lan, gender didnt matter at all. Whether it was Girl A with Girl O, or Girl B with Girl B, there were plenty of situations where same-sex couples existed. Xin Lan didnt care about the specific gender; it wasnt a concern. She was accepting and open to any gender. During the process of sorting through memories just now, Xin Lan had already distilled the relevant information related to the mission. The original hosts life over the past twenty-something years, although not exactly smooth sailing, was marked by determination and effort. She had gained recognition in the entertainment industry and even within the circle. However, love had its own magic, leading some seemingly intelligent individuals to do all sorts of foolish things. Romances between managers and artists are quite common, but most of them dont end well, especially when they involve same-sex relationships. The point Xin Lan arrived at was precisely a scene of catching an affair. Naturally, the original host was furious. Anyone would be angry seeing the person they liked lying on the same bed with someone else. But what made Xin Lan find it amusing was that the scumbag girl quickly withdrew her hand from Three and acted as if nothing had happened, immediately starting to coax the original host. Perhaps it was the influence of love once again, the original host couldnt bring herself to break up decisively. They started a cold war, and the scumbag girl used all sorts of methods to coax her. In public situations and media interviews, there were subtle confessions and skillful coaxing techniques. The scumbag girls ability to win her over was extremely advanced, and the original host couldnt resist. In the end, she forgave her. The original host thought that this forgiveness would allow their love to endure longer. Little did she know, it marked the beginning of a mistake. The scumbag girl continued to emotionally and physically cheat, managing to keep it hidden from the original host. Simultaneously, she manipulated the original host to secure resources for her. When she felt the original host was no longer of any use to her, she ended the relationship. Compared to someone who loves you trying to salvage the relationship, its chilling to see someone who doesnt love you putting in all their effort to win you back, driven by ulterior motives. Xin Lan gently pushed the door open just a crack. Of course, she wouldnt erupt in anger like the original host. Her movements were so subtle that the person inside, who was fully immersed in a passionate scene, didnt notice at all. With a slight curve of her lips, Xin Lan pressed the record button and filmed for about two minutes. Then, she quietly closed the door again. She sat on the sofa in the living room, watching the video in her hand, and stored it away with a satisfied expression. Zero Nine: Host, Ive sent you the subsequent plot. Xin Lan: Okay. Xin Lan lay on the sofa, digesting and organizing the information, rapidly memorizing. The original host hailed from a small town but worked extremely hard. After diligent studies, she made her way to a big city for education and strived to establish herself there. She managed several actors and had a good network within the industry. She projected a very capable and strong woman image outwardly, skilled at promoting talents. Three years ago, she brought out a new solo artist from a group, Shen Yun. Under Shen Yuns gentle yet assertive approach, she and her artist began a clandestine relationship. She utilized all the resources at her disposal to elevate Shen Yun to a prominent position. Shen Yun was hailed as one of the Four Young Actresses of the moment and had a good reputation in the film industry. Her future was undoubtedly bright. The current moment was after a wrap-up celebration for one of Shen Yuns projects. The original host had flown to the filming location to surprise her and celebrate together. Surprise was achieved, but joy was not. Xin Lan lightly tapped her fingers on the sofa. She felt that this probably wasnt Shen Yuns first instance of cheating, although it was the first in the original hosts memories. The upcoming story was clichd to the point of being laughable. The original host believed that Shen Yun would be with her for the long haul, as Shen Yun had always assured her. However, when Shen Yun reached the pinnacle of her career with a grand slam victory, she abruptly proposed a breakup. The original hosts emotions can be imagined, but heartbreak wasnt the most significant blow. After Shen Yun initiated the breakup, there were online revelations that the original host was an irresponsible manager who had exploited and mistreated Shen Yun. Amid public opinion, the original host was suspended from her job. But this wasnt the end. Later on, she was exposed for promiscuity and drug use. When false accusations are repeated often enough, they can be taken as truth. She wanted to prove her innocence, but despite her efforts, she was unable to defend herself. After all, she was just a manager, not an artist who relied on fans for her livelihood. Moreover, at that time, it was the still popular Shen Yun who had targeted her. The company terminated her contract and issued a statement, pushing her to a dire situation. The original host hadnt given up. She wanted to know why she was treated this way. Through various methods, she managed to contact Shen Yun and all she heard was a voice filled with amusement. Having to serve an old woman like you with false pretenses every day is really annoying. You cant offer me anything more, and considering our past relationship, how about wishing me success in my future endeavors? At that moment, the original host felt like she could commit murder, but before she could unleash her fury, the call was abruptly cut off. With no way out, people online were relentlessly cursing her, unjustly laying blame on her. Former friends were unreachable; everyone was focused on self-preservation, unwilling to step into that mess. Love and career were both lost. The original host was overwhelmed by despair. She leaped from the twenty-eighth floor, ending her life in a hasty and tragic manner. And all of this happened merely seven days after the original host and Shen Yun broke up. In the subsequent plot provided by Zero Nine, Shen Yun exploited this incident to gain sympathy from a female celebrity she had always felt a connection with. This caused the girl to be deeply sympathetic, bringing them closer. They began interacting more frequently. When Shen Yun won another international award, she confessed her feelings to the female celebrity, solidifying their relationship. In other words, during the time when the original host still had a relationship with Shen Yun, Shen Yun not only got involved with someone else but also had a supposed beloved. Not content with attacking the original host, she even used this situation as a stepping stone to advance her own romantic progress. Trash. Xin Lan summarized succinctly with a word. If the villains role is to show how cruel the world can be, then the villains downfall is meant to reveal just how despicable some individuals can become. Zero Nine: Host, what do you plan to do this time? In this situation, resorting to direct force as a threat is undoubtedly the least rational approach. Zero Nine believed that it would be wiser to carefully select the next mission. After all, the entertainment industry here is highly competitive, and she didnt have the luxury of choice C she had to snatch opportunities. Zero Nine didnt think about how much impact she could have; what mattered most was the hosts completion rate. Xin Lan: The original plan. Xin Lan felt that perhaps her recent visit to the counseling office had an effect. Now, as she sat here, her mood was remarkably calm. She wasnt arrogant or impatient; she even found herself wanting to laugh. Zero Nine: Oh, okay! If you can meet her in person, Ill immediately scan all the information for you. Of course, the original plan was to go after the scumbag girl. How could such a scumbag deserve love? However, the information you can gather from the subsequent plot is quite limited, and Zero Nine cant be certain about the persons true nature. It seemed that there would be some activity going on behind the door for a while, so Xin Lan didnt just sit around daydreaming. The original host had a group chat for her assistants on WeChat. Although Shen Yun wasnt a huge sensation right now, she still had a good amount of popularity. The original host had assigned three assistants to her, responsible for her daily needs. As a manager, the original host didnt only represent Shen Yun. She also managed a male artist. Due to the need to secure resources, she was quite busy and couldnt be by Shen Yuns side all the time. In terms of time spent together, the assistants actually spent more time with Shen Yun. [Working Nonstop for Sister Yun] Sister Lan: Where are all of you? Miao Miao: Good evening, Sister Lan. Sister Yuns wrap-up celebration was today. Shes already back in her hotel room. She told us not to wait for her there, so the three of us are currently in the room next to hers. Ah Kun: We watched her enter the hotel room; there definitely wont be any issues. Er Qin: Ive prepared things like hangover soup as well. If Sister Yun needs anything, Ill get it for her immediately. Sister Lan: Hmm, who has been with her the most? Er Qin: Sister Lan, thats me. Is there something wrong? Sister Lan: Nothings wrong. Everyone has been working hard on the set. Since Shen Yuns wrap-up is done, lets plan to have a meal together another day, the three of you. Miao Miao: Thank you, Sister Lan! Er Qin: Thank you, Sister Lan! Ah Kun: Thank you, Sister Lan! Miao Miao: Truly, the essence of humans is being a repeating machine. [laughing till crying] Xin Lan exited the chat interface and began aligning the work-related details in her memories. In the adjacent room for assistants, Zhou Qin Qin felt that something was off. Is Sister Lan in a bad mood? I dont think so. Where did you get that from? Isnt this pretty normal? Ah Kun sat on the sofa, chewing gum. Although it wasnt quite appropriate for a grown man to be in the same room with two young girls, Shen Yun had been drinking tonight and was a bit tipsy. Just in case something happened and the two girls needed him, he decided to just stay on the sofa. You see, Sister Lan is calling Sister Yun by her name directly. She never did that before. Previously, Sister Lan would refer to Shen Yun as Yun Yun or Little Yun in the group chat. When did she ever call her by both first and last name? It is a bit strange, but Sister Yun doesnt seem to have encountered any issues recently. Shes been filming on the set, and theres been no negative news on her Weibo. Shes been posting regular selfies too, so everything seems fine. Miao Miao checked Weibo and confirmed. Maybe Im just being too sensitive. As the three of them discussed, they remained completely unaware of Xin Lans situation next door. Chen Qing finished getting dressed, tidied her hair, shared an affectionate moment with Shen Yun, and then opened the door to the inner room, turning on the light in the outer room. When she saw the figure on the sofa, she couldnt help but exclaim in surprise. Whats wrong? Shen Yun walked out in slippers and, upon seeing the person sitting on the sofa, her expression momentarily froze. The woman sitting on the sofa was wearing a small suit, her long hair cascading on either side, and her face had a half-smile, half-smirk expression. Sister Lan, you didnt even let me know you were coming. Shen Yun remained composed and walked over to Xin Lans side. Should I leave first? Chen Qing greeted Xin Lan and waved to Shen Yun before exiting. Alright, goodnight. As the door closed, Shen Yun immediately flashed a sweet smile at Xin Lan. Why didnt you tell me you were coming? I could have picked you up. I havent seen you in a month, and Ive missed you so much. TL Im sorry for the inconsistent updates lately. My nose allergy has been flaring up more than usual for the past weeks. If I didnt update tomorrow or the following days, just know that my allergy is acting up. CH 65 Agent 02 Xin Lan looked at the face in such close proximity, Shen Yun indeed had the capital of redness, and this face was delicate and charming. At the beginning of her debut, she was defined as having a sweet route, playing the lively and cute supporting female roles. Shen Yun was not content with always playing supporting characters. She pleaded with the original owner to give her a leading role. The original owner had no choice but to put in a lot of effort and found her a leading role. However, at that time, Shen Yuns acting skills were not up to par. She couldnt grasp the character well. The original owner spent a lot of money to hire a teacher to polish Shen Yuns acting skills, and also spent time gradually accompanying Shen Yun to improve. This led to a better performance in her role in that drama. It can be said that Shen Yuns success is inseparable from the original owner. However, the original owner didnt expect that despite giving her all, the eventual outcome would be so tragic. Why are you looking at me like that? Shen Yun felt a bit flustered under Xin Lans direct gaze, and managed to force out a smile. Dont you have something you want to tell me? Of course, I have a lot to say to you. You have no idea how much Ive missed you this past month! You know very well that what I want to hear isnt just that. Xin Lan pressed the cellphone against Shen Yuns chest, creating some distance between the two of them. Youre not getting jealous, are you? Huh? Shen Yun poked Xin Lans hand and looked playfully at her, showing no signs of panic. The girl just now is the second female lead in our drama. I know her a bit because weve been working together. We finished filming today, and since we might not see each other again, she came in to have a chat. I swear, thats really all it was! Shen Yun stared straight into Xin Lans eyes, continuing to act cute and coaxing. If you dont like it, I wont interact with her anymore. Ill immediately delete her from my WeChat. I wont be in the same production with her. Please dont be angry, okay? Zero Nine: A womans mouth is full of lies, deceiving ghosts! Xin Lan looked into Shen Yuns eyes and found that there wasnt a hint of guilt on her face. She truly was a tough one; either she had been through countless battles, or she possessed extraordinary talents. Im feeling a bit hungry. Can you wait for me while I go to my room to freshen up, and then we can go out to grab something to eat? Just the two of us, no one else, a secret little date. Shen Yun coquettishly suggested, her eyes shining brightly. Zero Nine: Oh my god, seriously, this person has no shame! Zero Nine exclaimed in disbelief three times. If she didnt know what had happened, just from watching Shen Yuns performance, she would have thought she was really saying what she claimed. Xin Lan had no intention of exposing her. The evidence in her hand was useful, but it wasnt the right time to reveal it. Since Shen Yun wanted to pretend she hadnt cheated, Xin Lan would play along with her act. This time, Xin Lan was planning to play the game of support and destroy. Pushing someone little by little, lifting them up, and when theyre full of complacency, ruthlessly letting them fall. From Shen Yuns eyes, she saw what she craved: fame, fortune, status, and money. Xin Lan raised an eyebrow and lightly pushed Shen Yun away. Only then did Shen Yun become somewhat flustered. She bit her tongue to calm herself down. If theres something thats bothering you about me, just tell me directly, okay? You know I love you the most; I cant handle you being so indifferent towards me. Shen Yuns expression appeared aggrieved as she squatted in front of Xin Lan, looking up at her. In reality, her composure wasnt as strong as she was trying to show. Xin Lans unusual demeanor made her wonder if Xin Lan had somehow found out about what had just happened in the room. Her mind was already in turmoil, but she clung to the delusion that Xin Lan hadnt actually discovered anything. If Xin Lan were clearly angry or not, she could come up with a plan, but sitting there like this, her reaction was different from usual. It seemed like she was smiling, yet upon closer inspection, the smile wasnt there. She appeared possibly upset, yet her anger wasnt evident, sending a shiver down ones spine. Shen Yuns appearance seemed on the verge of tears; the original owner would surely feel sorry for her in this state. But Xin Lan wasnt feeling any sympathy. If Shen Yun were to truly cry, Xin Lan might as well give her a round of applause in her heart. The most difficult thing about matters of the heart for those involved is what? Its because of love, because they cant let go. However, Xin Lan had absolutely no pity for this scoundrel. The scoundrel acted violently out of love, but Xin Lan had no love at all. What have you done wrong? Havent you thought about it seriously? Xin Lans fingertip grazed the edge of her phone, still wearing an indifferent expression. Xin Lans current demeanor filled Shen Yun with inexplicable panic. Shen Yun vaguely felt that the person in front of her seemed different. The face was the same, but there seemed to be a change in aura. Previous Xin Lan had a very capable and strong-willed demeanor, but ever since they started dating, Xin Lan had been gentle and affectionate toward her. However, now she couldnt sense any warmth from Xin Lan. There was only a bone-chilling coldness, and staring at her for too long would make her feel a shiver down her spine. You know Im a bit slow at understanding things. Cant you just tell me if Ive done something wrong? Ill change, thats all. Shen Yuns expression pleaded as she gazed at Xin Lan, her eyes filled with love and longing. Xin Lan felt that the money the original owner spent to hire a teacher for Shen Yuns acting wasnt in vain. At least now, her acting skills were quite good. Shen Yun might be a bit slow, with all the twists and turns in her mind. If she was considered slow, then the world would indeed be lacking quite a few intelligent people. Since she had to proceed step by step, Xin Lan didnt intend to make Shen Yuns mindset collapse from the start. After all, she was now Shen Yuns manager, and she could still influence her success or tarnish her reputation if she wanted. Ive been here for 15 minutes, and you still have some time to continue. Xin Lan glanced at her wristwatch and said so. Its not what you think. Let me explain. Shen Yuns face turned pale, and she quickly began to defend herself. Blaming it on being drunk? Shen Yun, Im 28 this year, not 18. Were all adults here, dont treat me like a fool. Ah Lan, its not like that between us. I only have feelings for you. I had too much to drink, thats why its true! Please believe me! Shen Yun hastily tried to reach out and grab Xin Lans hand, but Xin Lan pushed her away. The air fell into a moment of silence. Shen Yun gritted her teeth and slapped herself. The slap was quite loud, indicating Shen Yuns force behind it. If it were the original owner, they might immediately be shocked and angry. One reaction would be out of concern, and the other would stem from the fact that Shen Yun was a celebrity, relying on her appearance for her livelihood C how could she treat herself like this? Ah Lan, its my fault. This time, I was in the wrong. But I really You can hit me, scold me, do whatever you want, as long as you calm down. Just please dont push me away. Shen Yun spoke cautiously, her face filled with pleading. Dont act like this, how can you go to shoots with that face? If people dont know the situation, they might think I hit you. If youre caught like this by someone, it could explode among the fans and the company. Xin Lans tone was cool and sarcastic, completely unaffected. The expression on Shen Yuns face was almost impossible to sustain. Xin Lans current demeanor made her feel an unsettling sense of unfamiliarity. Clearly, in the past, whenever she cried or acted coquettishly, Xin Lan would have no choice but to give in to her, fulfilling all her requests. She did indeed make a mistake, but she wasnt genuinely remorseful. It was just a casual encounter after finding someone who caught her eye. How could she possibly have any involvement with her? Did Xin Lan really have to react this way? Xin Lan unfastened the watch on her wrist and placed it on the table. I came here today originally to see you, to give you a surprise. But unexpectedly, its you who surprised me. Please please dont take it off, okay? Shen Yun bit her lip, her voice trembling. On Xin Lans hand was a pair of couples watches, which she had given to Shen Yun when they confirmed their relationship. It was like a symbol of their commitment, and Xin Lan had never taken it off all these years. But now, she was removing it. Shen Yun, lets break up. Before dealing with Shen Yun, Xin Lan had already decided to end their relationship. She didnt want any emotional entanglements with Shen Yun. Her role was that of a manager, targeting her artist who had let her down. Break up? I disagree! Shen Yun widened her eyes, tears streaming down her face. She wanted to rush to Xin Lans side, but Xin Lans gaze held her in place. Just because of this incident, you want to break up with me? Do you think this is a small matter? I was just drunk, and I barely know Chen Qing. I wont have anything to do with her in the future, I promise. Ah Lan, please dont be angry. Dont scare me like this. I cant be without you. Think about our past Please dont abandon me, okay? As Shen Yun cried, she spoke, appearing quite pitiful. So, youre saying its fine for me to go out and have fun with anyone without getting emotionally involved? Xin Lan retorted, her lips slightly pursed. Shen Yun remained silent for a while before reluctantly admitting it. Shen Yun, what do you take love for? Xin Lan scoffed, staring at the tearful woman. Im not discussing with you; Im stating the outcome. Xin Lan stood up and tucked her long hair behind her ear. Stop crying. As she neared the doorway, she spoke to the person behind her. A glimmer of hope sparked in Shen Yuns heart. Xin Lan still cared about her, after all. Your schedule is quite tight. The day after tomorrow, theres a morning advertisement shoot. Present yourself in the best condition. I dont want to see you tomorrow with swollen eyes and face. Shen Yun, I believe in your professionalism. Xin Lan remained calm, not displaying the demeanor of someone who had just experienced a breakup due to infidelity. She opened the door, and Shen Yun caught hold of the edge of her clothes. Xin Lan instinctively pulled her clothes back and turned around, furrowing her brows as she looked at Shen Yun with tear-stained face. Is there anything else? Did you plan to break up with me long before? Shen Yun shouted with red eyes and a trembling voice. Otherwise, how could she be so calm? She suspected that Xin Lan had been planning to break up with her for a while, and now she was using this incident as an excuse. Have you fallen for someone else? Who is it? No one. The day after tomorrow is the endorsement for Yaluo Cosmetics. If your skin condition is criticized by their director, theres nothing I can do to help you. Yaluo is currently one of the better-reputed makeup brands on the market. The original owner had worked hard to secure this endorsement opportunity. However, it wasnt a sure thing because there would be other contenders, and the final decision on the spokesperson would be made by the brands director. Dont change the subject! Shen Yun didnt want to talk about endorsements right now; her mind was consumed with the fact that Xin Lan wanted to break up with her. Shen Yun, I hope you can understand that youre the one who made the mistake in this situation. Im discussing business matters with you right now because I dont want to talk about private affairs. Ive only made one mistake. Why wont you forgive me? Have you forgotten that we promised to be together forever? Have you forgotten that you said you would love me always? If you truly love me, why arent you angry when I make a mistake? Have you actually fallen out of love with me? Did my mistake give you a reason to finally let go and get what you wanted? Zero Nine: What kind of drama is this? CH 66 Agent 03 If Zero Nine had a physical form, she would definitely come out and say to Shen Yun, Youre so seductive. What kind of theory is this? She herself has gone astray and is now starting to blame others. Zero Nine: Is her brain just a collection of water, proteins, inorganic substances, fats, and undigested food fibers? Commonly known as shi (a derogatory term), but an elegant AI shouldnt be so direct. Zero Nine hasnt never encountered scum; her first host was both scummy and worthless. But at the very least, they didnt cross the line like cheating. They played in ambiguous and complicated situations, not giving definite answers, spinning between various men. Thats not good either, but compared to that, what Shen Yun did is simply shameless. In response to Shen Yuns inquiry, Xin Lans reply was to close the door. She didnt want to engage in lengthy arguments with someone whose mind seemed to be a collection of unrelated things. People like that were simply unreasonable, and it wasnt worth debating with someone who couldnt understand reason. She had already done what she needed to do, and now it was time to proceed step by step. This mission was going to take a long time. Based on the current timeline, it would take at least five years to progress to the subsequent plot. Five years C it sounded like a lengthy period. The original host had been together with Shen Yun for three years. Thinking about how Shen Yun pretended to be affectionate towards the original host for eight years and then ruthlessly struck without mercy is truly chilling. Xin Lan brushed her long hair and tied it into a low ponytail at the back of her head with a hairband. Some people, you know, even if its not just eight years, even if its eighty years, they still cant warm up that heart of theirs. The human heart is sometimes so strange C sometimes so soft, but at other times, so hard. Xin Lan knocked on the door of the adjacent room. When Zhou Qinqin saw Xin Lan, she was momentarily stunned. Sister Lan, why are you here? Zhou Qinqin opened the door slightly, stepping aside to make way and let Xin Lan in. As Xin Lan entered, the other two assistants quickly greeted her. Shen Yun has finished filming. I came to check on her and also to have her prepare for the announcement the day after tomorrow. Oh, I see. Should I help you book a room and also arrange a flight for you tomorrow? Xin Lan nodded and took a seat on the sofa. Ah Kun poured her a cup of hot water and placed it in front of Xin Lan. For the three assistants, if Shen Yun was the queen, then Xin Lan would be the emperor herself. The three of them were cautious and careful, behaving like subordinates being inspected by their leader, not daring to mix anything up. Xin Lan lifted the paper cup and took a sip of hot water, placing the blanket on the table. As the water in the cup swayed, the hearts of the three assistants swayed as well. How long have each of you been with Shen Yun? Zhou Qinqin: Three years. Miaomiao: Two years. Ah Kun: One and a half years. At the beginning, when Shen Yun wasnt popular, she only had one assistant by her side. But as time went on and Shen Yun became busier, one assistant couldnt handle everything, so she acquired a few more. Zhou Qinqin, Miaomiao, and Ah Kun werent the only three assistants Shen Yun had initially, but after a gradual selection process, these three individuals remained by Shen Yuns side. They were all brought in by the original host. The original host was at ease with them. But now the situation is different; Xin Lan couldnt quite tell whose side these three people are on. After being with her for so long, do you have any thoughts? Miaomiao: Sister Yun is great! Zhou Qinqin: Absolutely wonderful! Ah Kun: Exceptionally fantastic! Oh? Xin Lan raised an eyebrow and swept her gaze over each person. Im pleased with your work attitudes staying like this, but I hope you remember whos paying your salaries. Zhou Qinqin understood and replied, Its you, Sister Lan. The other two nodded in agreement. Alright, I wont say much more. Go ahead and book a room for me. Some things are better left unsaid; nobody is foolish. Understood. Zhou Qinqin left the room, leaving Miaomiao and Ah Kun sitting there in silence. In the adjacent room, Shen Yun had a gloomy expression. After Xin Lan left, her tears hadnt continued to fall. She paced anxiously in the room, wanting to smash everything around her, but the last shreds of her sanity held her back from such an outburst. Xin Lan must have fallen for someone else; thats why she broke up with her so decisively. Who is that person? She clenched her fists, determined not to let that schemer trying to climb up to Xin Lan be revealed to her. Xin Lan was hers, and those resources could only be hers. She struggled to suppress her panic. A breakup with Xin Lan wasnt a big deal; she could still win her back. They had talked for so long; Xin Lan couldnt be so heartless. Besides, even if there was no chance between them, Xin Lan wouldnt stoop so low as to use personal grudges to suppress her. After all, in terms of interests, they were intertwined. Shen Yun sank into the sofa, pulling out her phone. Xin Lan sat on the couch, waiting for Zhou Qinqin to return. The atmosphere in the room was heavy, and the two opposite her pretended to be mute quails, not saying a word. Miaomiao, being a petite girl, managed to blend into the background, but Ah Kun, being much larger, looked quite comical trying to do the same. The phone vibrated, and Xin Lan glanced down at it to alleviate the tension for the two across from her. On WeChat, Shen Yun was constantly sending her messages of apology. Xin Lan decided to enable the Do Not Disturb mode, letting Shen Yun play her acting game over there. After being dumped, the original host wasnt entirely frantic when facing the targeted attacks. Shen Yun had left behind a lot of evidence of their relationship, and sharing screenshots could potentially help reverse the public opinion a bit. However, it seemed that there was someone behind Shen Yun, manipulating things. It was unclear whether they were targeting the original host or assisting Shen Yun, but the original hosts account was suspended. She tried registering new accounts to post, but those posts vanished without a trace, unable to stir any controversy. In the end, when she realized she had no more options left, she ended it with resentment. Xin Lan: Record these screenshots and save them for later use. Zero Nine: OK. In the realm of technology, the role of systems becomes apparent. Each system can store files, audio recordings, and similar items. They can exist independently, not stored in any electronic devices in the physical world. Whenever the host needs them, they can be copied. This method effectively avoids certain risks, such as storing sensitive information on physical devices, which might be seen by others. The short video clip Xin Lan recorded earlier, lasting a little over a minute, was archived with Zero Nine. Whenever she wished, Xin Lan could have Shen Yuns plans backfire. Although Xin Lan didnt respond, Shen Yun persisted in sending her messages. Xin Lan glanced at the messages; they were mostly apologies and similar words. Xin Lan chose not to read them, but Zero Nine, who was connected to her communication device, saw everything clearly and mentally criticized. Such foolish beep were simply too common, a classic example of scum. Shen Yuns messages were quite persistent; if Xin Lan wasnt paying attention, she could have easily received 99 notifications. Xin Lan opened the chat window, sent a message, and then exited the conversation. Zero Nine understood what it was seeing but didnt quite grasp the meaning, feeling perplexed. Zero Nine: Host, what does ТxYx mean? Xin Lan: Loyalty, Filial Piety, Benevolence, Righteousness, Courtesy, Integrity. Zero Nine was confused for a moment, then suddenly realized. Xin Lan thought that using such insults was relatively light, as it was her aversion to coarse language that made the words seem dirty. Also, such words were easily traceable on social media. She preferred confrontations in person, but it wasnt the right time for that now. Just in case Shen Yuns thought process took another magical turn and she started believing that Xin Lans retort meant she still cared about her, that kind of self-indulgent and self-delusional attitude would be utterly disgusting. Xin Lan decided to send this message as a subtle reminder of her disposition, so that the other side would understand and not bother her anymore. Upon seeing Xin Lans response, Shen Yun also felt puzzled. She looked up the meaning of that phrase on Baidu and realized that Xin Lan was sarcastically alluding to her. Such a sarcastic tone, if taken too seriously, could easily escalate into a larger issue. Shen Yun furrowed her brows and continued apologizing. By this time, Xin Lan had checked into her room using the key card. She had undressed and gone into the bathroom to take a shower. The original host had hurriedly finished her work and rushed to catch the flight immediately after. She hadnt rested during the flight. Xin Lan paid no mind to Shen Yuns continuous messages. Zero Nine wished she could engage in a verbal fight with the flower in a prosperous age, but the conditions didnt allow for it. So, Zero Nine decided to divert her attention to the forum and read some entertaining rant posts. After finishing her shower, Xin Lan sat on the bed and began using her iPad to research information. She was looking into the person Shen Yun had a crush on in the original plot. Currently, she only knew the name of the person. In the original hosts memories, she hadnt interacted with this individual. Other than knowing that the person was a former child star, there werent many other clues. Even though she hadnt met the person yet, so Zero Nine couldnt provide detailed information, she could still use Baidu to search for photos and related content. For celebrities, privacy often doesnt exist. A simple online search can reveal information like height and weight, although it may not always be accurate. Qin Yuyan, female, 24 years old, blood type When Xin Lan saw the name, her eyebrow raised. She didnt know if it was a coincidence, but the female characters she had encountered in her various worlds all seemed to have a Yan in their names. However, it was unlikely that there was any connection among them. The way these characters had acted and behaved was quite different from each other. Perhaps it was truly just a coincidence. Xin Lan continued reading, not dwelling on this matter too much. The young girl was quite beautiful, belonging to the second generation of stars. Her whole family was involved in artistic creation; her parents were seasoned actors. She started as a child star and had a smooth journey in the entertainment industry. This was probably one of the most enviable backgrounds in the entertainment industry. There was no need to struggle to acquire resources; they had access to resources since childhood. They were not only beautiful but also down-to-earth, focused on studies, occasionally making guest appearances on variety shows or dramas. Currently, her fame seemed rather ordinary, and many people didnt know her yet. However, those with discerning eyes could see that as long as she decided to seriously work in the entertainment industry rather than just play around, her name would eventually become synonymous with popularity. Xin Lan remembered that the original host had once considered signing someone under her management. However, at that time, she was still in a good relationship with Shen Yun and already had someone under her wing. She didnt have the energy to take on another person. Even if she wanted to, she might not be able to win her over. After all, the other persons background and circumstances were remarkable. The main advantage was her youth and vitality, untouched by the industrys influence, still adaptable to various roles. Even a top-tier talent agent could easily manage her. Putting down the iPad, Xin Lan messaged her friends, planning to explore the situation first. While the original host didnt plan to sign Qin Yuyan, Xin Lan felt compelled to do so. However, before that, she needed to prepare thoroughly. It would ultimately depend on whether Qin Yuyan chose her. CH 67 Agent 04 After finishing up some tasks, Xin Lan took a look at the stock market trends. The original owner wasnt much into trading stocks; they dabbled a bit, both making and losing money. Xin Lan intended to make some profit using this opportunity. Stock trading could yield quick money, although the risks were high. The original owner wasnt exactly short on money; she owned an apartment in a first-tier city and had a decent annual income. However, she werent excessively wealthy. Since she mingled within certain circles, especially given her need to socialize extensively, some greasing of palms was essential. The company wouldnt provide her with this money, so she had to manage on her own. Xin Lan looked at a few stocks and asked Zero Nine for an analysis of their upward and downward trends. Zero Nine compiled a comprehensive analysis and provided the best course of action. Xin Lan tapped the screen and began buying in. After completing these tasks, she lay down to sleep. The next morning, she was awakened by a knocking on the door. Fortunately, she woke up without any displeasure, and after freshening up, she got into the car headed to the airport. Shen Yun sat beside her, wearing a mask, observing Xin Lan with an expression that seemed to hold unspoken words. The atmosphere in the car was quite awkward. Zhou Qinqin, sitting in the front, didnt know how to ease the tension. She handed out breakfast she had bought, giving a portion to both Shen Yun and Xin Lan. Then, she bowed her head, focusing on her phone without saying a word. Shen Yun removed her mask. The redness from yesterdays slap had diminished considerably, leaving only faint traces of fingerprints. Due to Shen Yuns fair complexion, they were quite noticeable. She ate only a little of her breakfast, then began gazing at Xin Lan with an intense look of affection. This gaze was not piercing, yet it held a distinct presence. Xin Lan lowered her head and focused on her phone, completely ignoring it. Until they got off the car, Xin Lan didnt pay any attention to her. Shen Yun bit her lip, reluctantly putting on her mask and hat. She followed closely by Xin Lans side. Because Xin Lans ticket was purchased later, even though they were on the same flight, she wasnt seated next to Shen Yun. Zhou Qinqin intended to swap seats with Xin Lan but saw her shaking her head. Evidently, a conflict had arisen between the prominent boss and the junior boss. Zhou Qinqin didnt approach them either, so as to avoid becoming cannon fodder herself. Shen Yun sat in her seat, feeling extremely uncomfortable. Her eyes were bloodshot, indicating that she hadnt slept well last night. She couldnt fathom how things had changed so quickly. Just yesterday, she had attended the wrap party for the drama production, full of anticipation for the future. Yet today, things had taken this turn. Breaking up with Xin Lan was distressing, but even more unsettling was her concern about losing her connections. She knew that, given her status, there were certain resources she wouldnt have access to without Xin Lans efforts. Now that they had broken up, would those resources still be available to her? Would she be treated unfairly? The more Shen Yun thought about it, the more anxious she became, her eyes growing darker and more somber. By now, Shen Yun had begun to resent Chen Qing. If it werent for Chen Qings implication for her to make a move, she wouldnt have accepted it. After an hour-long flight, Xin Lan disembarked from the plane and left the airport, preparing to hail a taxi. Go back and rest for a while. Ill pick you up at 7 AM the day after tomorrow. We have an appointment at 8 AM with Yaluo. Aries really despises people who are not punctual. At 7 AM, I want to see you with no traces on your face. If you dont secure the endorsement this time, its your own lack of effort. Xin Lan spoke rapidly, glancing at her phones time and hurriedly making her way out. Shen Yun didnt manage to call her back, left only to watch her get farther and farther away. She comforted herself, thinking that at least Xin Lan didnt intend to target her. She didnt seem very angry either. The endorsement deal with Yaluo was still on the table. As long as she secured that, her reputation could rise a bit further. Xin Lan hailed a taxi and headed to the company. There were already people waiting for her in the office. As she entered, they greeted her politely. Xin Lan chuckled softly, placed what she was holding on the desk, and settled into her bosss chair, looking at the young person sitting on the couch. Tell me, whats going on? Her laughter made Cheng Zhis heart tremble, and he lowered his head further under the gaze of Xin Lans eyes. Oh no, why did it feel like her aura was becoming stronger and stronger? Cat got your tongue? Big sis, I was wrong. I shouldnt have violated the companys rules and had a private relationship. Did you break up? Cheng Zhi remained silent. Xin Lan picked up the photos from the folder on the table. There were over a dozen pictures, all showing Cheng Zhi being intimate with a girl. Thankfully, there were no kissing scenes; they were holding hands, sharing a drink. Even with just these, releasing them could lead to unpredictable consequences. If Cheng Zhi were an established star, she might not have questioned him this way. But Cheng Zhi was still on the rise, and most of his fans were female. Revealing a romantic relationship would undoubtedly be detrimental. The money to buy these photos will be deducted from your payment. Cheng Zhi nodded, his expression even more downcast. Fortunately, the paparazzi who took these photos had some connections with the higher-ups in the company, so the selling price wasnt too high. You need to understand that the company doesnt forbid artists from dating, but now is not the right time. Im not forcing you to break up, but I hope you realize that your career isnt just your own matter. The company can invest money and resources in nurturing you, and we can also help clean up messes, but that comes when youre capable of providing the company with sufficient returns. Cheng Zhi hung his head, resembling a big dog with drooping ears. Ive thought about whether I should hand you over to someone else. Xin Lan tapped the edge of her desk, her contemplative expression conveying to the sole spectator that she wasnt joking. Xin Lan had been thinking last night. If she were to strive for signing Qin Yuyan, then it seemed like she had a bit too much on her plate with two people already on her hands. While it was common for current managers to handle multiple talents, Shen Yun was on the rise and had achieved a decent level of fame. Xin Lan still wanted to keep her as a card to play, part of her strategy for promoting her. Until she had toyed enough with her career, she couldnt let her go to someone else. Although Cheng Zhi had a minor incident, it was manageable and not a big deal. The young man had a good appearance and a likable character setup. If managed well, it wouldnt be difficult for him to rise in the future. The issue lay in Xin Lan having two talents on the rise in her hands. If she were to sign Qin Yuyan as well, there was a possibility of evoking envy among her peers. Jealousy aside, the bigger concern was that higher-ups might find it inappropriate. Xin Lan furrowed her brows. If she were the CEO of the company, she wouldnt have this worry. But the CEO also wouldnt be a miserable ex-girlfriend who had been cast aside. Sis! Please dont do this, sis! I know I messed up, I promise Ill behave from now on! Cheng Zhi was taken aback by her words and quickly lifted his tearful face. He had been under Xin Lans management for a year, and she had treated him quite well. Moreover, Xin Lan was now one of the top-ranked managers in the company. If she handed him over to someone else, his treatment would definitely be worse than what it currently was. Cheng Zhi thought that Xin Lan was giving him up to someone else because his romantic involvement had been exposed. He believed she was breaking up with him and was on the verge of tears just looking at Xin Lan. Xin Lan gazed into his eyes. Cheng Zhi was only 21 now, not yet tainted by the chaos of the entertainment industry. Ill go ask around first before making a decision. Having someone else manage you might not be a bad thing for you. Xin Lan took a sip of hot water, stood up, and left her office, leaving Cheng Zhi inside to reflect on his actions. Xin Lan knocked on the door of the CEOs office. As she stepped in, she heard a voice with a playful tone. Well, if it isnt our busy bee. How come you have the time to visit my office today? Mr. Xu is joking. No matter how busy, its impossible not to come and see you. Xin Lan gave a faint smile as she looked at the man sitting in the CEOs chair. Xu Fang, at the age of 32, was the Executive President of StarMap Entertainment. He had been the original owners immediate superior and had always taken care of her. Their relationship was quite familiar. After some pleasantries, Xu Fang got to the point. Xu Fang: You didnt come just to talk about that young lad under your care, did you? Skip the gratitude; the company will deduct from his pay. Xin Lan: I didnt come just for that. I wanted to ask if we have anyone available in the company to take him in. Xu Fang: That young lad? Xin Lan: Yes. Xu Fang raised an eyebrow and sat up straight. Xu Fang: Whats the matter? Are you dissatisfied? Xin Lan: How could I be? The kid is quite obedient. Its just that this year, Miss Qin finished her studies and came back. She dipped her toes into a variety show. Youre aware of this, right? Xu Fang understood: Are you interested in her too? Xin Lan: Too? Has someone else consulted you? Shes in high demand. Let the kid stay with you for now. If you can really sign her, thats your skill, Xu Fang paused for a moment, But if you feel overwhelmed, why not send Shen Yun out? Qin Yuyan is an actress, and Xu Fang felt that if Xin Lan had to choose, she shouldnt let go of Cheng Zhi. Although Shen Yuns value is significant, those in their line of work need to think long-term. With two female actresses under their management, resources will surely be fought over. After all, gender is a factor here. Male roles cant be portrayed by female actresses, and female roles cant be played by male actors. Even if the two female artists have different positions, the scales cant be perfectly balanced. She wont work. Xin Lan denied, and Xu Fang shrugged. Clearly, shes your precious. But you shouldnt reveal your heart and soul too much. Some people have a conscience, while others might not. Xu Fang chuckled, remarking that Shen Yun was currently on the rise. Although she seemed sincere, there might be hidden ambitions. Once she gained more power and wanted to go solo, poaching others, there would be no tears shed for her. Xin Lan neither confirmed nor denied the term precious, and she stood up. Dont rush to leave. How about we have lunch together? Caitlin hasnt seen you in a while, and shes been mentioning you to me. As soon as Xin Lan heard that name, an image of an 18 or 19 year old girl popped into her mind. Sure, then call me later. Xin Lan walked back to her office while thinking about Caitlin. Caitlin was Xu Fangs sister, and her Chinese name was Xu Siyu. Before the original owner could become as independent as she was now, she had learned from Xu Fang. Sometimes, Xu Fang would have her run errands like picking up his sister or delivering things to her. Through these interactions, the original owner had gotten to know Caitlin. At that time, the original owner was around 25 or 26 years old, while Caitlin was 15 or 16. With a ten-year age difference, they shouldnt have had much in common. However, the original owner had a gentler personality back then, with a lot of patience for others. Moreover, Caitlin was the bosss sister. So, whenever Caitlin needed advice or assistance, the original owner would be there to guide or help her. Over time, Caitlin grew dependent on her. Xin Lan thought about being careful not to act out of character during their meal later. After all, this missions environment was different from the previous ones. When Xin Lan returned to her office, she was met with Cheng Zhis pitiful gaze. Alright, stop looking so gloomy. Youll still be staying under my management. Cheng Zhi let out a sigh of relief, looking like he had escaped a disaster. Sis, Ill definitely work hard and make you proud! You dont have to make me proud, just make yourself proud. For now, try not to meet up with your girlfriend. Cheng Zhi nodded vigorously. By the way, who is your girlfriend? Is she from the entertainment industry or outside of it? The photo only captured Cheng Zhis face clearly, while the female lead was either looking down or shown from the back, making it hard to identify which one she was. Consider her half inside the circle. Shes a singer and an actress Sis, whats with that expression on your face?! A bit surprised. Shes an excellent singer and actress. Her family is also involved in this industry. Cheng Zhis expression turned proud, not hiding his excitement at all. A light bulb went off in Xin Lans mind. Qin Yuyans family was also involved in the arts, even though the chances of them knowing each other were slim. But who knows? Could you help me ask your girlfriend if she knows Qin Yuyan? Qin Yuyan? Cheng Zhi wondered who that was. He nodded and agreed to ask. By the way, I have a male facial cleanser endorsement deal on my end. I recommended you, and its set to start shooting in three days. Be prepared for it. Thanks, sis! Cheng Zhis last drama had finished filming half a month ago, and he was getting restless with nothing to do. When he heard about the casting, he became excited beyond measure. He had said that Sister Lan wouldnt just abandon him like that. She had just scared him by saying she didnt want him anymore, and now, not even two minutes later, shes got him an endorsement deal. Cheng Zhi came in looking downcast and left looking overjoyed. This young lad has a bit of a humorous charm and, unusually, doesnt seem to have a lot of deceptive intentions. Actually, Cheng Zhi had a reasonable amount of resources under the original owners management. It shouldnt have come to him sitting idle at home for half a month after the drama wrapped up. However, the original owner was someone who placed a strong emphasis on managing the artists image. Shed rather have Cheng Zhi stay at home than participate in some strange variety shows. Xin Lan remained busy in her office, handling documents until noon, when a notification sound alerted her, causing her to lift her head. She rubbed her shoulders and glanced at the green plants in her office. Considering she had been facial massaging for quite some time now, this was the first time she felt traditionally busy. The message was from Xu Fang, inviting her for a meal. She locked the drawer and grabbed her bag before heading downstairs, where she saw a car parked at the entrance. She opened the car door and got in. Well pick up Caitlin first and then head to the restaurant. Xu Fang said, looking at the driver and signaling him to start driving. Xin Lan nodded, taking out a small mirror from her bag to touch up her makeup. Shen Yun, not sure if she understood that she could be quite bothersome, hadnt sent any messages to Xin Lan all morning, which gave Xin Lan a peaceful feeling. Caitlin is currently in her sophomore year at a renowned film school in the city, majoring in acting. When she first met the original owner, she was a high school student. The original owner asked her what major she wanted to pursue, and at that time, Caitlin said she had no idea. However, right before the art college entrance exams, she told the original owner that she wanted to study acting. The original owner didnt really support this decision because Caitlin had a somewhat introverted personality and might not be suitable for the entertainment industry. Nevertheless, considering that Caitlins brother was the CEO of an entertainment company and their family was well-off, with protection and support, the original owner eventually changed her stance to support Caitlins choice. As the original owner got into a relationship with Shen Yun, her contact with Caitlin gradually decreased. Shen Yun didnt like the original owner being too close to others, and ironically, she ended up creating distance between herself and others first. Its quite amusing. The car arrived at the outskirts of the university town. Its currently midsummer, and Caitlin was wearing a black shirt and hot pants. She already had fair skin, and the black outfit made her appear even fairer. She opened the car door and sat down next to Xu Fang. Brother. She greeted Xu Fang first, then turned her gaze towards Xin Lan. Sister Lan, its been a while. The gaze of the young girl was fixed directly on Xin Lan, and Xin Lan smiled apologetically. Ive been quite busy lately, so I havent had the chance to reply for a long time. Are you so busy that you cant even reply to messages? Ill make sure to reply next time. Xin Lan said this without any hint of insincerity, speaking very naturally. Keep your promises, okay? Keep your promises. Caitlin curved her lips and sat obediently. The car arrived at the designated restaurant. Xu Fang had reserved a well-known private kitchen where the dishes were served quickly. Xin Lan knew that Xu Fang had invited her to dinner mainly for Caitlin. She engaged in occasional conversation with Caitlin, asking about recent updates, and the atmosphere didnt feel awkward at all. Midway through the meal, Xin Lan got up to go to the restroom. When she came out, she saw Caitlin washing her hands by the sink. It seems like Sister Lan has become quite unfamiliar. Caitlins voice was soft, and amidst the sound of water, it was a bit hard to hear clearly. Do you think so? Maybe its just been a long time since we last met. Xin Lan pressed the soap dispenser and replied with ease. Maybe, Caitlin replied. It just feels like weve drifted quite far apart. Caitlin grabbed a tissue to dry her hands, then tossed it into the trash. After finishing her handwashing, Caitlin didnt leave. Instead, she waited for Xin Lan by the restrooms entrance. The two of them returned to the private room in silence. Just before entering, Caitlin suddenly spoke up. Sister Lan, for you, were friends, right? Yes. Xin Lan nodded without hesitation. For the original host, Caitlin was indeed a friend. As for herself, it depended on the situation. Thats good then. The young girl showed a slightly shy smile and pushed open the door to the private room. After finishing her lunch, Xin Lan had her assistant send her the itinerary for the day. Artists are busy, and so are their managers. They must constantly work to maintain their relationships and connections, expanding them whenever possible. It wasnt until she lay in bed resting in the evening that Xin Lan felt a sense of realization. It had been a while since she had been working tirelessly under such high pressure, and she didnt find it too bad. Her phone chimed with a notification, and Xin Lan unlocked it to see a message from Cheng Zhi. Orange Juice: Sister, she said shes heard of this person, but theyre not familiar with each other. Whats going on? Xin Lan: I want to meet this person, but I havent made a connection yet. Orange Juice: Sister, are you interested in signing them? After leaving Xin Lans office, Cheng Zhi had gone to ask his girlfriend and also looked up information about Qin Yuyan online. He now understood what Xin Lan was planning. Xin Lan: Yeah. Orange Juice: Then what about Sister Yun? Xin Lan: Dont call everyone sister. Cheng Zhis eyes widened as he stared at his phone, his expression as if he had seen a ghost. The fact that this phrase had come from his Sister Lan was amazing! Cheng Zhi wasnt naive; he understood others intentions toward him. He knew Xin Lan put in more effort for Shen Yun, and he didnt feel much jealousy. Judging by the situation, had Shen Yun angered Xin Lan? Orange Juice: Yes, sir! Orange Juice: Ill ask her if theres any way. Go for it, Sister Lan! Youll definitely succeed! Xin Lan: [Completely confident.jpg] Xin Lan: Rest well these days, no puffiness or dark circles. Keep your skin and figure in the best condition for me, otherwise, Ill be monitoring your weight loss. Orange Juice: Understood! At 6:40 the next morning, Xin Lan was awakened by the alarm clock. She reached out and grabbed the ringing alarm clock, opening her eyes. Today, she was going to take Shen Yun to the audition for Yaluo. To be honest, whether Shen Yun could secure the role or not didnt matter much to her. However, she knew Shen Yun would definitely make the most of this opportunity, and she was happy to see her succeed. After freshening up, Xin Lan applied light makeup, put on a professional suit, and stepped into high heels before heading out. Her assistant and the driver were already waiting downstairs. When she got in the car, An An handed her a sandwich and a carton of milk. Xin Lans home and Shen Yuns home were not far apart, and they arrived quickly. Before departing, Xin Lan had sent messages to Shen Yun and her assistants to prepare for the day. Shen Yun sat in the car wearing sunglasses and a mask. Miao Miao handed her the breakfast, and Zhou Qinqin passed over a meal. The bruises on Shen Yuns face had completely faded, and her skin looked much better. Whether Shen Yun had come to terms with something or had a new plan in mind, she didnt attempt to strike up a conversation with Xin Lan during the journey. She didnt use those eyes filled with unspoken emotions to look at Xin Lan either. After finishing breakfast, she closed her eyes for a brief rest. When they were close to arriving at Yalou, Xin Lan explained some important points to Shen Yun. The original host had a good relationship with the person in charge of Yalou. The choice of models and the type of shoot were handled by the advertising team, but the final decision still depended on the clients approval. This time, Yalou was shooting their newly launched hydrating face mask. According to their claims, the effect was so good that using just one sheet could make your skin radiant. The requirements for the models skin were very high. While some adjustments could be made in post-production, poor skin condition would certainly lead to disqualification. Before the audition, the original host had obtained a few sheets of the mask from the person in charge, Iris. They were meant for Shen Yun to try out the effects and also to improve her skin condition. Hey, Iris. As Xin Lan entered the Yalou shooting location, she spotted the long-haired man standing there and greeted him. Hey, my dear Lan Lan. Iris walked over and embraced Xin Lan, showing a warm smile. Is this the model you brought? Iriss gaze swept over Shen Yun, particularly focusing on her face. Shen Yun felt as if she had been scrutinized from top to bottom by some kind of X-ray machine, making her a bit uncomfortable. However, she still put on a smile and greeted Iris. Yeah, how do you feel? It looks good. Who else is coming? Yu Zijun and Fu Wen. Strong competitors. Iris smiled without saying anything. Yu Zijun was a fellow actress who debuted around the same time as Shen Yun. She was also one of the Four Young Actresses and had gained popularity. Fu Wen, on the other hand, was a rising star who recently gained attention for her role as a likable supporting character in a popular drama. Thinking for a moment, Xin Lan concluded that the choice of Yu Zijun by Yalou was likely similar to their choice of Shen Yun, and Fu Wen might have been chosen due to her rising popularity and charming appearance. Fu Wen, whom the original owner had encountered before, was a young girl with fair and tender skin, radiating with collagen. Her skin was translucent, and she had a hint of baby fat on her face. Given her appearance, she seemed like a suitable candidate for shooting a facial mask advertisement, as the results would likely be impressive. After chatting with Iris for a while, Xin Lan led Shen Yun to the director who was busy setting up equipment. After the necessary adult pleasantries, they got down to business. Although there were three candidates, they wouldnt be shooting simultaneously. Once the equipment was properly set up, Shen Yun began her part according to the script. Xin Lan didnt focus on Shen Yun but stood not too far away, observing. Shooting commercials is quite a challenging task. Shen Yun immersed herself in the repetitive takes, while Xin Lan scrolled through her phone. At that moment, Iris walked over to her. Ive heard them say that youre quite devoted to your precious one. Xin Lan smiled without giving a direct answer. Or perhaps, that was the best answer she could offer. Iris was a shrewd individual, capable of reading between the lines in Xin Lans smile. It seems rumors arent always accurate. However, this one does seem like a promising candidate, and perhaps the most suitable according to our criteria. With popularity and good looks combined, Iris couldnt make a definite judgment as they hadnt seen the others perform yet. You seem to be in much better shape today than before. Really? Iris nodded. Their last meeting had taken place half a month ago when Xin Lan and him had dinner together and discussed this very advertisement. Back then, Xin Lan seemed like a live volcano C outwardly calm, but giving off a sense of restlessness, pressure, and busyness that could erupt at any moment. Now, she appeared much more serene, exuding a sense of composure. Iris didnt engage in a lengthy conversation with Xin Lan and went off to attend to his own matters. Xin Lans phone vibrated, and upon seeing the message, a slight smile appeared on her face. Orange Juice: Sister! Little Yuanzi says that the 17th is Grandma1 Qin Yuyans birthday. There will be a birthday celebration within the industry. She can attend, and even bring a plus one. Will you go? CH 68 Agent 05 Such a great opportunity, how could Xin Lan possibly not go? She immediately replied to Cheng Zhis message, asking him to provide the time and location. If its convenient, she could directly give him his girlfriends contact information. Cheng Zhi quickly sent over a string of numbers from his side. Xin Lan copied and pasted it before adding. Little Yuanzi: Hello, Im Yuan Xiaoyuan. Xin Lan: No need to be so polite, Im older than you. You can call me Sister Xin. You can also follow Cheng Zhi and call me Sister Lan. Little Yuanzi: Okay, Sister Lan. Xin Lans fingers glided across the keyboard as she chatted with Yuan Xiaoyuan about Qin Yuyans grandmothers birthday banquet. Qin Yuyans grandmother is a Kunqu opera singer, and Yuan Xiaoyuan is learning the same art form. There is a distant connection between their families and the Qin family. However, Yuan Xiaoyuan and Qin Yuyan are not very familiar; they have only met a few times. Yuan Xiaoyuan couldnt just hastily propose a meeting. Fortunately, due to Qin Yuyans grandmothers birthday, they were invited to their house for a moderate-sized banquet. The requirements werent too strict, and it would be relatively easy for Yuan Xiaoyuan to bring someone along. Xin Lan got so engrossed in the conversation that Shen Yun walked up to her. It was only then that she realized the advertisement shoot had ended. Is it over? Yeah. Shen Yuns expression turned unpleasant for a moment, but she quickly suppressed it, with only her tightly clenched fist revealing her unease. When did Xin Lan become so indifferent to her? Although she brought her along for the advertisement shoot, her attention and focus werent on Shen Yun. It seemed as if whether Shen Yun participated in the shoot or not was of little importance. In the past, whenever she was in front of the camera, Xin Lans entire attention would be on her. When Shen Yun occasionally looked over, Xin Lan would encourage her with her gaze. Shen Yun felt an inexplicable sense of grievance. How could this person change so easily? Just a few days ago, they were talking about love, but now they wouldnt even spare her a glance. Just as Xin Lan finished her conversation with Yuan Xiaoyuan and confirmed the meeting time, she put away her phone and walked forward with Shen Yun. As they walked out, Shen Yun finally couldnt hold back and spoke up. Dont you want to ask me how the shoot went? Whether its good or not, you should know in your heart, right? What if I say I didnt think it was good? If you yourself dont think its good, why bother asking someone else? Xin Lan glanced at Shen Yun with a hint of disdain, her contempt evident. Shen Yun bit her lips inner lining and walked beside Xin Lan, making an effort to keep her emotions steady. Is it necessary for you to act this way? You initiated the breakup, but I dont want to accept this outcome. Do you really need to deny me any dignity, continuously mocking and ridiculing me? Dignity? Xin Lan stopped in her tracks and let out a cold laugh. Do you even understand what it means to deny someone dignity? If I were to do that, Id leave you here and drive away. Thats what denying someone dignity truly looks like. In front of others, Ive already given you plenty of face. You wouldnt do that. If you did, tomorrows entertainment headlines would feature a renowned actress targeted by her manager. Xin Lan raised an eyebrow noncommittally and opened the car door. Even if she were to target someone, she wouldnt resort to such low methods. Tonight at 8 oclock, you have a livestream. The app youre promoting is on your third phone. Miaomiao, remember the time, and give it to her then. The day after tomorrow afternoon, youve been invited to guest star on a variety show in Haicheng. So, youll have to leave tomorrow. Once I receive the script, Ill send it to Erqin so she can print it for you. The variety show will take two days to film. Dont cause any problems. Remember your character portrayal. On the evening of the 21st, theres a dinner gathering. Your variety show should end on the afternoon of the 20th. You can book a flight back, and Ill come to pick you up. While speaking, Xin Lan made notes on her phones memo app. Miaomiao and Zhou Qinqin nodded on the side, indicating their understanding. Upon hearing the word dinner gathering, Shen Yuns enthusiasm noticeably waned. She closed her eyes and withdrew into herself. Nevertheless, she was still secretly pleased. She remained just as busy as before, which indicated that Xin Lan hadnt intended to withhold resources from her. Xin Lan had the driver take her back to Starlight Pictures. Her assistant, An An, followed her out of the car. Lan Jie, you have a dinner gathering with an advertiser tonight. Sure, let me know when the time comes. Getting good resources isnt just about waiting for them to be handed to you on a silver platter. You have to strive for them yourself. However, when it comes to negotiating for resources and building connections, its not quite like a formal negotiation. It requires skill, and no doubt, eating and drinking are an essential part of it. Apart from actively seeking out resources herself, she also needed to filter through the ones that came to her doorstep. Some were valuable, while others werent. Amidst her focused efforts, Xin Lan suddenly remembered that it had been a while since she last spoke with Zero Nine. Xin Lan: Zero Nine, what have you been up to lately? Watching dramas? Zero Nine: I only watch dramas in non-tech dimensions. Right now, Im busy arguing with someone. Xin Lan: Who are you arguing with? Zero Nine: Shen Yuns brainless fans! The other day, I came across a post and left a comment saying Shen Yun is two-faced. Result? Her fans attacked me with insults. Could I just let that slide? Zero Nine: Haha, just kidding. this Father doesnt need to eat or sleep for 24 hours. The three of them couldnt out-argue me. Zero Nine: Also, Host, let me tell you, Ive joined the Shen Yun anti-fan organization. Now, Ive even become a little leader among the anti-fans! In the previous world, I had a lot of free time, but in this world, theres plenty to do. Zero Nine devoted herself to the business of arguing with detractors. Due to her unique nature, she even targeted Shen Yuns alternate account. Whenever Shen Yun commented, she was sure to respond with a counterattack. Who said you cant argue with the main character? She focused on arguing with the main character herself. Some of Shen Yuns brainless fans might have surprising combat strength, but who is she? How could she possibly be brought down by a few humans? Xin Lan: Are you busy? Zero Nine: Ive been here all along, and Im closely monitoring Shen Yun. If you need anything, just call on me, meow~ Xin Lan pinched the bridge of her nose and continued to concentrate on her tasks. In the afternoon, Xin Lan touched up her makeup in front of the mirror before heading out. The other person she was meeting was a middle-aged man in his forties. He engaged in banter with Xin Lan, complimenting her artist and discussing future prospects. He subtly hinted at making advances, but Xin Lan deftly deflected the topic with laughter. She was sure that her temper was genuinely good now; she didnt get angry at all. Although the advertiser didnt manage to make any successful advances or gain any advantages, they did succeed in getting Xin Lan quite intoxicated. Xin Lans cheeks were flushed, but her gaze remained clear. The advertiser across from her had already succumbed to the effects of alcohol, slumped over the table with a tipsy grip on his glass. Xin Lan exchanged greetings with the advertisers assistant, then grabbed her bag and left the private room. The wind outside the restaurant helped clear Xin Lans head a bit. An An came over to support her, but she waved her hand, watching as An An opened the car door for her. She settled into the back seat. Sister Lan, are you okay? Xin Lan responded with a sound, feeling not too well. The original hosts alcohol tolerance wasnt exceptional, and after she took over, Xin Lan couldnt significantly increase that value. Just now, she intentionally pushed herself. She drank so much to see where her alcohol limit was so she could gauge it for the future, but now she was feeling a bit intoxicated. Feeling unwell, after the driver had been driving for a while, Xin Lan asked him to stop the car. She didnt even bother taking the garbage bag from An Ans hands as she rushed to a nearby trash bin and vomited. Zero Nine: Host, are you okay? Xin Lan felt her head buzzing and shook it to try and clear her mind. The trash bin emitted a sour and putrid smell, which only heightened her nausea. After vomiting, she felt a bit better. Xin Lan took a tissue to wipe her mouth and then discarded the tissue into the trash bin. Just as Xin Lan was about to get back in the car and leave, she heard Zero Nines shout. Zero Nine: Host, wait a moment. In the direction of 7 oclock, theres a tea shop. I just saw Qin Yuyan enter with someone. I dont think Ive made a mistake. Xin Lans steps faltered, and she hesitated for a moment. Would it give a bad impression if she were to approach now, especially when she still smelled of alcohol? However, this hesitation only lasted a moment. She closed the car door, allowing An An and the driver to go ahead. Sister Lan, arent you going home? I want to take a walk and get some fresh air. You go ahead, Ill take a taxi back by myself later. Will you be safe alone? No need to worry. Alright then. Once youre home, please give me a call or send a message. Okay. An An got into the car, and Xin Lan let down her tied-up hair. She took out a wet tissue from her bag and gently wiped her face and hands to freshen up a bit. Then she entered the tea shop as Zero Nine had mentioned. The tea shop was quite spacious, with several customers browsing around. The moment Xin Lan stepped inside, Qin Yuyan noticed her presence. Xin Lan was dressed in a professional suit, her slightly curled long hair flowing behind her. A rosy flush adorned her pretty face, and there was a hint of alcohol scent about her. Such a person naturally drew attention in the tea shop. However, what caught Qin Yuyans attention wasnt these factors. It was a subtle, barely recognizable sense of familiarity that stirred within her heart. That sensation pulled her gaze towards that person, to the extent that someone had to tap her shoulder to bring her back to reality. What are you looking at? That person, I feel like Ive seen them somewhere before. Who? Qin Susu followed Qin Yuyans line of sight and narrowed her eyes thoughtfully. Shes quite good-looking. I havent seen her before. Maybe you noticed her because you saw her somewhere earlier. Ive already chosen the items. Lets go pay. As for the jade shop, we can let Lizi take us there tomorrow. Qin Yuyan absentmindedly responded while her peripheral vision still remained fixed on the woman in the suit. The face seemed really familiar, but she couldnt place it in her memory. Amidst this attentive observation, Qin Yuyan saw the person turning towards her and making eye contact, offering her a smile. There was a rumbling in the depths of her heart, causing Qin Yuyan to feel a bit dizzy and entranced for a moment. That tingling sensation, like an electric current, spread upward from her fingertips. Qin Yuyans fluctuating thoughts quietly settled in a place within her heart. Like dispersed cotton fluff, they settled softly and soundlessly into the soil, taking root and sprouting in an undisclosed place. Xin Lan noticed Qin Yuyans surprise upon recognizing her, but she believed it could only be a positive thing, not a negative one. She smiled at Qin Yuyan, her brain racing as she couldnt come up with a non-awkward and non-contrived way to strike up a conversation. Suddenly, her stomach clenched tightly, and that sensation of wanting to vomit struck her again. Xin Lan couldnt pay attention to Qin Yuyan leaving. She leaned against a tree, one hand pressing against her stomach as if to hold back nausea. What an imperfect encounter, Xin Lan thought. Taking a deep breath, Xin Lan noticed a bottle of water appearing within her line of sight. Are you okay? Qin Yuyans voice was clear and pleasant, carrying a hint of coolness. Somewhat surprised, Xin Lan accepted the water and thanked Qin Yuyan. This girl seems much kinder than Qin Yuyan had imagined. As Qin Susu walked to the shops entrance, she felt utterly puzzled. All she did was pay, yet when she turned around, she saw her sister handing water to someone else? The problem was, they didnt bring any water with them when they left. CH 69 Agent 06 Qin Yuyan couldnt explain why she hurried to the neighboring store to buy water when she saw the person walking out with a furrowed brow. That sudden urge to help appeared out of nowhere. By the time she snapped out of her thoughts, the water had already been handed over. Are you alright? Im fine, thank you. The person expressed gratitude and took the water from her hands. Sis, what are you doing? Qin Susu called out in a bewildered tone. Well Should I go first? Goodbye. At such moments, initiating further conversation to get to know each other felt awkward. Qin Yuyan stated this way, and Xin Lan responded accordingly. It was a perfectly normal exchange, but as Qin Yuyan took a couple of steps away, she turned to glance at Xin Lan. She continued walking toward Qin Susu only after Qin Susu prompted her once again. Holding the bottle of water, Xin Lan reflected on this mishap. The timing was off, the location was wrong, and the awkwardness was almost palpable. However, at least they had made eye contact this time. The next time they met at a gathering, Qin Yuyan wouldnt be a complete stranger to her anymore. She hailed a taxi, gave her address, and closed her eyes for a short rest. On the other end, Qin Susu was still commenting on Qin Yuyans unusual behavior. You disappeared in the blink of an eye, you know that, right? And where did you get the water from? I bought it from the neighboring store. Qin Yuyan responded somewhat absentmindedly. Do you really know her? I dont remember, but she felt very familiar to me. Qin Yuyan shook her head, suppressing the turmoil within her. Qin Yuyan got into the car, and as the car drove farther away, that inexplicable emotion gradually faded. Perhaps we did meet somewhere after all. Anyway, enough about that. The item I ordered should be ready by now. I hope it doesnt disappoint me; its a significant gift Im presenting to grandmother. As the cool air from the cars air conditioning blew, Qin Yuyan shifted her focus to the upcoming banquet as Qin Susu spoke. After returning home, Xin Lan messaged An An. Setting her phone aside, she took a shower and put on her pajamas. She then made herself a bowl of sobering soup. After finishing the sobering soup, Xin Lan checked her itinerary and went to sleep. Cheng Zhi, who hadnt reached the point of being able to handle things independently, was shooting an advertisement. Xin Lan had to accompany him for socializing purposes. Sitting in the car, Xin Lan felt like her manager was akin to an old motherly figure. For instance, at this moment, she looked at Cheng Zhi and let out a soulful inquiry. Have you gained weight? Cheng Zhi widened his eyes, wearing an expression of disbelief. Cheng Zhi: Really? Have I gained a lot of weight? Ive just gained a pound or so! Xin Lan raised an eyebrow, More than just a pound. Cameras inherently make you look heavier. If you dont want to appear like a middle-aged man gaining weight in front of the camera, then start losing weight after were done shooting today. Cheng Zhi exclaimed, Sis, Im only 21! Im not in middle age yet! Xin Lan gazed at Cheng Zhi quietly. Cheng Zhi received a deadly stare and quickly toned down his protest. Ill lose weight, I promise! Ill definitely lose weight! Amid Cheng Zhis antics, they soon arrived at the shooting location. The original hosts judgment of people was still quite accurate. Even though Cheng Zhi had a carefree appearance, there was a certain vitality about him. Even when he had retakes (NG moments), his demeanor didnt provoke anger when looked at. In this industry, both talent and effort were equally important, with opportunities being even more crucial. After finishing the advertisement shoot, when Cheng Zhi returned to the van, Xin Lan handed him two scripts. Cheng Zhi became excited upon seeing the scripts, eagerly taking them as if they were treasures. Take a look at these two scripts yourself. Decide which type youd like to play. But remember, neither role is a perfect match for you, understand? Cheng Zhis excitement waned a bit, and he nodded in acknowledgment. The dynamics within the industry were such that a single role often drew fierce competition. The roles were often pre-arranged for well-established figures or those with connections, and not everyone had the privilege of merely going through the motions during auditions. After receiving the script, actors put in effort to study their roles. It was common that a role might not end up belonging to them after auditions. However, this didnt discourage them from studying the script thoroughly. During the return journey, the atmosphere in the car was quiet. Cheng Zhi was engrossed in reading the script while Xin Lan was busy with various contacts. StarMap Management Subteam (6) Bessie: @Xin Lan Sister Lan, heard that youre interested in Miss Qin? Xin Lan: Well, what about it? Are you trying to compete with me? Bessie: Oh no, how could I? I cant even handle my own affairs. Just got the news that the Qin familys matriarch is celebrating her birthday and has invited quite a few people. You might want to go and take a look. Chen Yi: It seems like we didnt receive an invitation, so we cant go in. Bessie: Find someone to take you. Even though the old lady is from the opera scene, there are influential people in her family, right? When Xin Lan saw Qin Yuyan, the scan from Zero Nine had already provided her with a comprehensive overview of her family background. Grandmother Qin was an opera performer, as was her late husband. Both of them were prominent figures in the entertainment industry. Grandmother Qin had three sons. The eldest son chose business over the arts, while the second and third sons followed the artistic path. The second son diverged from opera to become a pop singer, attaining a superstar status at the time. The youngest son had a passion for painting and became a renowned artist. The elderly couple didnt insist on their children pursuing opera; as long as their disciples continued the legacy, they were content. The wife of the eldest son was the daughter of a famous real estate magnate. They had a son and a daughter. The son pursued business, while the daughter followed her grandmothers footsteps in the opera world, becoming one of the well-known figures in the industry. The wife of the second son was a former national sweetheart. They had two sons and a daughter. The older son pursued a political career, the second son went into business, and the youngest daughter was Qin Yuyan. The wife of the third son was the editor-in-chief of a well-known magazine. They had a daughter, who happened to be the Qin Susu that Xin Lan saw that day. One could say that the Qin family was a massive clan, with connections and relationships spanning business, politics, art, opera, music, film, and television. No wonder in the original plot, Shen Yun would abandon the original host to pursue Qin Yuyan. Even if not considering Qin Yuyans personality and appearance, based on this background alone, it would be worth Shen Yuns effort. With Qin Yuyans impressive background, it also meant that she wouldnt be easily swayed. Xin Lans phone vibrated twice, bringing her attention back. Bessie: Sister Lan, I heard that Dong Shuyu from StarMap Entertainment is determined to win over Miss Qin. Xin Lan: Whoever can win her over will do so based on their abilities. The shining star of the future, who wouldnt want to secure it? In terms of seniority, Dong Shuyu from StarMap Entertainment had an edge over the original host. Having been in the industry for over a decade, Dong Shuyu had guided two Best Actress and one Best Actor awardees. The original host would respectfully address her as Sister Dong, but that didnt mean Xin Lan would just give in. The original host might be polite, but she wouldnt be. Bessie: To be honest, youre at a greater disadvantage than her. Youre handling two individuals, whereas shes currently focused solely on Qin Yuyan, without any companions. Bessie: Moreover, she has an extensive network; I heard she even knows Qin Yuyans father, Qin Tiangwang. Xin Lan: Its a bit troublesome. Bessie: Many want to win her favor, but not many can truly compete with you. However, having two people under your guidance might be a bit cumbersome. After all, resources are limited, and youre also taking care of Shen Yun. Xin Lan: I have my own plans. Thank you for your concern. Bessie: No need to be polite. I didnt come to see you just to discuss this matter. Tomorrow, my artist Yan Xuan and your artist Shen Yun will appear on the same variety show. Can we create some buzz around it? Xin Lan: Is it necessary to generate hype for Shen Yuns appearance just this once? Bessie: Cant we create a bit of a buzz? Sister Lan, help me out a bit. You know its just this one time. Xin Lan: Fine, Ill talk to Shen Yun and ask her to cooperate. Bessie: [Hug.jpg] After a moments consideration, Xin Lan recalled that Bessie managed a four-member boy group, with Yan Xuan as the center. This group had enjoyed a period of online variety show popularity but was currently on a decline. On the other hand, Shen Yun was currently in the spotlight, propelled to new heights by the success of the drama where she played the lead. Skillful manipulation would only make things better, so it wasnt surprising that they wanted to capitalize on her popularity even for a single variety show appearance. Bessie shared with Xin Lan the information she had heard, and it was only appropriate for Xin Lan to reciprocate. Over the past few days, aside from that one message, this was the first time she had a chat with Shen Yun via WeChat. She explained the situation succinctly. Originally, she had intended to have Zhou Qinqin relay the message, but considering Shen Yuns character, she might not necessarily comply. It was better to personally handle it. Shen Yun quickly replied, her attitude clearly reluctant. Shen Yun: You want me to create buzz with a man? Xin Lan: Or would you prefer to do it with a woman? Shen Yun: I refuse. Xin Lan: You dont have the right to refuse. Shen Yun: Why not? Shen Yun: Even if were stirring up CP or rumors, it shouldnt involve that A-list celebrity, right? Besides, hes a singer. Xin Lan: Its my arrangement. Not willing? Shen Yun tugged at the corner of her mouth. How could she possibly say she wasnt willing? She didnt want Xin Lan to hold it against her. Shen Yun: Understood, Ill cooperate wholeheartedly. Amidst their busy schedules, Grandmother Qins birthday banquet arrived. Xin Lan and Yuan Xiaoyuan met at the predetermined location. Yuan Xiaoyuan was dressed in a blue evening gown, her hair styled up at the back of her head, revealing delicate and elegant collarbones, along with her fair and slender figure. When she saw Xin Lan, she politely greeted her with Sister Lan. Xin Lan smiled at her and complimented that she looked very beautiful. Yuan Xiaoyuan was quite fortunate in her appearance. If it werent for her liking Cheng Zhi, Yuan Xiaoyuan wouldnt have been so reserved in front of Xin Lan, resembling a person meeting their partners parents. However, in the entertainment industry, a manager truly was half of an artists parent, worrying about this and that, especially concerning their public image and romantic relationships. The car had been driven by Yuan Xiaoyuans driver. Since they were attending a banquet, Xin Lan had also dressed elegantly for the occasion. She wore a black one-shoulder evening gown, her hair loosely flowing down, covering the exposed back. When it was time to put on her dress, Xin Lan realized that An An had provided her with a backless dress with a V-neck design. Fortunately, it didnt plunge directly from the hips upward; it started at the waist, and with her long hair flowing down, it just managed to provide adequate coverage. The venue for the banquet was the Qin family mansion, a grand Chinese-style structure that exuded a sense of magnificence. Numerous luxury cars were parked at the entrance. Xin Lan followed Yuan Xiaoyuan inside, making her way to the main hall. It seemed that many people had already arrived. There were servants at the entrance receiving gifts. Yuan Xiaoyuan had brought a small jade Buddha statue as her gift, while Xin Lan had chosen a pair of jade ruyi (a symbol of good fortune). Familiar faces engaged in conversations, and amidst the atmosphere of the banquet, Xin Lan spotted several renowned singers, some of whom were still active while others had retired from the spotlight. Lanjie, some people I know have arrived. Ill go greet them first. You can take a look around on your own. If I see Miss Qin Wu, Ill try to strike up a conversation and facilitate an introduction between the two of you. Yuan Xiaoyuans mother is a disciple of Grandmother Qins junior sister, so there is a connection, albeit a distant one. Thats why when Yuan Xiaoyuan addresses Qin Yuyan, she uses Miss Qin Wu. This is because Qin Yuyan is the fifth in line among her generation in the Qin family. Xin Lan nodded and took a glass of wine from a server, then began to search for her target. CH 70 Agent 07 With too many arriving guests, Xin Lan hadnt found her target yet. Instead, she recognized familiar faces first. A familiar producer came over to say hello. After chatting for a while, he took her to meet other people. This was an invaluable opportunity, so Xin Lan had Zero Nine take note of Qin Yuyans position and followed the introducer. While adjusting the corners of her own dress, Qin Susu inadvertently caught a profile. Hey, sis, look, isnt that the person you thought looked familiar that day? Because that person was more attractive and had a higher recognition factor, Qin Susu remembered them even after just a few glances, recognizing that profile. The moment Qin Susu spoke, Qin Yuyan seemed to sense something and turned her gaze in a certain direction, spotting that figure. The spotlight was on her; Qin Yuyan was on the second floor, not far from them. Her vision was keen, allowing her to clearly see the fair and rounded shoulder and the beautiful profile of that person. The surrounding sounds suddenly quieted down, and in that moment, she could only hear the sound of her own heartbeat echoing in her eardrums. After returning that day, a vague figure appeared in her dreams, and a voice was saying something to her. She vaguely understood but upon waking up, she couldnt recall it at all. She remembered that face but didnt know the name. She had initially thought it would be just that, a passing moment in the crowd, a fleeting encounter that would come to nothing. However, she hadnt expected there would be a reunion. At the moment of reunion, a peculiar feeling welled up in her heart once again. It was strange, yet not unwelcome. Shes here. Maybe shes someone from our circle that weve interacted with before. You saw her, so you remember. Its just that you cant recall it, which makes her seem familiar. Qin Yuyan felt it was possible, as she genuinely couldnt recall where she had seen her before, yet there was an inexplicable sense of familiarity and closeness. My mom is calling us. Lets not keep staring. After all, shes a guest here. We can always ask for her contact information if you want to get to know her. Qin Susu felt like she had just uttered something meaningless in the end. Judging by the way her sister was looking, it was clear she wanted to make acquaintance. Whats so special about her? Curiously, Qin Susu stole a few more glances. The person seemed pretty and assertive. If it were a handsome guy, she could understand, but it didnt make sense to fixate on a girl, no matter how attractive she was. Confused, Qin Susu held Qin Yuyans hand and went to find their mother. The banquet soon began formally. Since the elderly lady had a background in drama, tonights celebration included performances by her apprentices and grandchildren to mark the occasion. The scene was somewhat discordant. While it was normal to have theatrical performances in a traditional Chinese courtyard, the audience consisted mostly of people dressed in formal attire and suits, creating a somewhat surreal sense of temporal displacement. The understanding of drama varies for different people. Those unfamiliar with it might not be interested, but there is a certain beauty to it that can be appreciated by those who know. Every gesture, every expression carries a charm. In reality, many celebrities present didnt understand or appreciate the performance, but saving face was a universal practice. Holding their wine glasses, they applauded the stage performances, contributing to a sense of conviviality between hosts and guests. Of course, the birthday banquet for the elderly lady proceeded according to her preferences. Her grandchildren and great-grandchildren successively offered their birthday wishes. Among them, Xin Lan saw the person she had been hoping to see. Given the advanced age of the elderly lady, her energy was limited, and she couldnt endure too long. After expressing her gratitude to all the arriving guests, she was assisted in retiring. With this, the first half of the banquet came to a close, and another type of high-society gathering began in earnest. Xin Lans intentions were clear; she approached her target while holding a glass of red wine. However, it was evident that Xin Lan wasnt the only one interested in getting to know Qin Yuyan. Qin Yuyan was surrounded by many people. She was dressed in a burgundy dress today, which complemented her fair skin. Her hair was pinned up behind her head with a wooden hairpin, and a few strands of delicate hair framed her temples, adding a touch of maturity to her appearance. This was different from her on-screen image. She had started as a child star and later portrayed the youthful side of a girl when she took on acting roles. When appearing on variety shows, she exuded a refined and elegant aura distinct from the others. Now, her attire was elegant and confident, radiating a different kind of beauty. After a short while, Qin Yuyan spotted Xin Lan standing outside the crowd, holding a glass of wine and leaning against a small table while watching her. Their gazes met suddenly, and the corners of Qin Yuyans mouth curved slightly upward. Xin Lan nodded at her, a form of greeting. Qin Yuyan didnt have much interest in engaging in conversations with the others around her. Using the excuse of needing to visit the restroom, she walked away from the crowd. Xin Lan kept her eyes on her, and when she saw Qin Yuyan heading for the restroom, Xin Lan set down her own wine glass and followed. Inside the restroom, Qin Yuyan was washing her hands, but her peripheral vision remained fixed on the entrance. Did she just catch her eye signal a moment ago? Qin Yuyan felt somewhat uncertain. What if Xin Lan hadnt seen her gaze? How about signaling again when she goes out? No, wait, since theyre both outside, its better to approach directly. But how should she start the conversation? Whats the right way to say hello in the first sentence to avoid making it awkward? Meeting again No, that sounds too casual. What a coincidence, didnt expect to see you here No, that sounds too contrived, especially considering its her grandmothers birthday party. As Qin Yuyans mind was in a whirl, she heard the sound of high heels clicking. Her heart tightened. It was indeed that person. The person arrived beside her, and Qin Yuyans body tensed almost imperceptibly. Say something! Qin Yuyan urged herself in her mind to start the conversation quickly, but inexplicably, her mouth seemed sealed shut, as if something was preventing her from uttering a single word. Thank you for the water the other day. Xin Lan said, Youre the little goddess that the entire entertainment industry has been waiting to grow up. How could I not know who you are? Xin Lan said with a smile, causing Qin Yuyan to feel a bit embarrassed. Those are all exaggerated by the media. I feel really embarrassed when you put it that way. Qin Yuyan blushed slightly at Xin Lans playful teasing. Many child stars are known for their good looks when theyre young. Some media outlets often claim that the entire entertainment industry is eagerly anticipating their growth into full-fledged idols. However, if they dont grow up as expected, its certain to be used for sensational headlines in the future. looking at Qin Yuyans profile. Youre welcome, Qin Yuyan responded hastily, then paused. On that day, did you know who I was? Qin Yuyan hadnt initially thought of this aspect, but seeing Xin Lans expression, it was too natural C both the greeting and the gratitude. It wasnt hard for her to imagine that from the first moment they met, Xin Lan already knew who she was. Im not exaggerating, youre really remarkable. Xin Lan wiped her hands and smiled at Qin Yuyan. Let me formally introduce myself. Im Xin Lan, a talent manager at StarMap Entertainment. Xin Lan, the Xin from Lixi Xin and the Lan from Shanfeng Lan,'' Xin Lan extended her hand in a handshake gesture. Qin Yuyan, I believe youve probably already thoroughly researched my information before coming here. Im not exaggerating, youre really remarkable. Xin Lan wiped her hands and smiled at Qin Yuyan. Let me formally introduce myself. Im Xin Lan, a talent manager at StarMap Entertainment. Xin Lan, the Xin from Lixi Xin and the Lan from Shanfeng Lan.'' Xin Lan extended her hand in a handshake gesture. Qin Yuyan, I believe youve probably already thoroughly researched my information before coming here. Qin Yuyan returned the handshake, their hands separating as soon as they made contact. Qin Yuyan wasnt naive. Xin Lan was a talent manager, and even if she didnt have the intention to sign her, she would definitely have thoroughly investigated her information. I hope you dont find this offensive. Its part of my necessary preparation. As they talked, the two of them exited the restroom. The main hall was crowded, not conducive to private conversation. Leading Xin Lan, Qin Yuyan headed towards the direction of the garden. Inside the Qin family mansion, there were numerous flowers and plants, and even before stepping into this garden, the fragrance of flowers could be smelled. Not offensive, just a bit surprised. You being a talent manager. Why, does it not seem fitting? Well, if you told me you were a CEO, I might find it more believable. Unprompted, Qin Yuyan seemed like the kind of person with a strong presence, someone who gives orders from a high position, a commanding queen rather than the role of a talent manager who takes orders from superiors and worries about artists. I would hope for that too. Xin Lan raised an eyebrow. She had no choice in this persona. If possible, she would have preferred to not get her hands dirty and just become a CEO directly, using the power of capital to apply pressure. However, such a path would require an incredibly long time. Status wasnt as easy to attain as money, and it wasnt as readily available. Pursuing that route would demand time, effort, and money many times more than the present. Of course, there was another more expedient path. But Xin Lan wasnt one to cozy up to wealthy benefactors. The idea of achieving great success at the cost of her body wasnt something she desired either. The person who previously attempted to force himself on her is now a ten-meter-high tombstone grass. So, can I understand that tonights banquet is, in a way, for my sake? Of course, without a doubt. Setting aside the rest, just from this conversation, one might think its some kind of blushing, heart-pounding, affectionate exchange. In reality, Qin Yuyans heart was indeed racing, even though she knew Xin Lan didnt have any ulterior motives. In fact, there have been people who approached me for this kind of thing before. A long time ago, a company had expressed interest in signing Qin Yuyan. However, she didnt agree at the time because she was still studying, and she didnt want to live a life of constant engagements and appearances. Once youre signed with a company, you have to follow their arrangements. Her parents felt the same way. After all, both of them had been in the entertainment industry as well, so they understood the extent of the industrys exploitation of artists. Only when you reach a certain high level can you break free from that busy lifestyle. Therefore, they hoped Qin Yuyan would think it through and not make hasty decisions. Yes, youre in high demand. Xin Lan stated plainly, her gaze at Qin Yuyan filled with admiration. Among the three entertainment giants in the industry C StarMap, Starry, and Yangyan C all of them would undoubtedly extend an olive branch to Qin Yuyan. Even the second-tier and smaller companies had this intention. Qin Yuyan was incredibly easy to manage and package. Once properly packaged and launched, she would become a walking money-making machine. As for StarMap, someone from your company just had a conversation with me a moment ago. Who? Its quite normal for other talent managers within the company to have their own ideas, but Xin Lan hadnt paid much attention to competitors, so she didnt really care. I didnt remember who it was. Qin Yuyan pondered for a moment and replied. Many people were talking earlier, and she was eager to meet Xin Lan, so her mind wasnt fully engaged in the conversations happening around her. My dad actually suggested that I sign with Starry. He said if Im really considering this path, going to Starry would be a good choice. Sister Dong approached him as well and discussed it with me. The Sister Dong that Qin Yuyan referred to was naturally Dong Shuyu. So, have you decided to go to Starry? Before meeting you, thats what I was thinking. CH 71 Agent 08 Xin Lans surprise in her heart outweighs her joy. These somewhat ambiguous words leave her slightly perplexed. Considering the situation, this is her second encounter with Qin Yuyan. If she has some intentions, it would be natural for her to act closely and attempt to build a positive rapport. But how about Qin Yuyan? Zero Nine: Is it possible that your charisma as the host is so immense that she fell for you at first sight, finding it hard to hold back and unable to extricate herself? Zero Nine looks up from the internet, catching this conversation just right. Wow, thats quite a possibility. Xin Lan couldnt easily dismiss this potential scenario from her mind. Out of the blue, how could such a thing be possible? Zero Nine: Theres nothing thats beyond the realm of possibility. This kind of situation is very common. You look incredibly attractive when youre not being fierce, Host! Xin Lan: Are you implying that I appear fierce when Im angry? Zero Nine: Oh no, not at all. You appear super handsome when youre angry, so handsome that its startling. Zero Nine: Host, did you know? My first host, the confident and striking type, had countless instances of falling head over heels for others at first sight. Its quite possible that Qin Yuyan might have been captivated by your charm. Xin Lan: Are you talking about the charm that had me looking intoxicated and feeling nauseous when we first met? Zero Nine: People who are good-looking evoke pity when they cry, resemble water lilies when wet, and show their true nature when angry. If you had followed our facial strategy, Host, you would have already conquered the world! Xin Lan neither agrees nor disagrees. She doesnt deny the power of attractiveness, but shes just skeptical that Qin Yuyan, considering her background and status, would be affected in such a manner. If its true that she left a positive impression on Qin Yuyan, for instance, if Qin Yuyan simply enjoys befriending good-looking people, then Xin Lan would be pleased. The managers at StarMap are very responsible, just like me for example. So, after meeting me, do you find StarMap more worth considering than other agencies? If thats really the case, then Im honored. Xin Lan said with a hint of playfulness, and her words werent meant to refer to herself as an individual, but rather as a representative of StarMap Entertainment. With this statement, Xin Lan dispelled the ambiguity. Qin Yuyan felt something wasnt quite right, yet she couldnt pinpoint what it was exactly. It was because of this unexplainable fondness she held for Xin Lan that her feelings were wavering. Yes, its because of you. Actually, even if you were at Yangyan Entertainment, I would still consider it. Qin Yuyan blinked, her words bringing back the ambiguous atmosphere that Xin Lan had just dismissed. At this time, the moon had risen above the willow tips. With no clouds to obstruct it, the silvery-white brilliance bathed the entire garden. Do I appear to have a face that inspires trust? Xin Lan chuckled, but her inner thoughts were creased with concern. She merely sought a professional partnership, or perhaps friendship or camaraderie, but without delving into matters of love. You give me a sense of familiarity, Qin Yuyan smiled lightly, subtly picking up on the shift in Xin Lans mood and changing the subject, Shall we discuss business matters here? In reality, the curvature of Xin Lans smile on her face remained unchanged, but Qin Yuyan felt that Xin Lan wasnt particularly pleased at the moment. Due to the change in topic and the fading of the ambiguous atmosphere, Xin Lans mood noticeably improved. If possible, she didnt want to manipulate Qin Yuyans emotions. She was being cautious about this because manipulating someones feelings could make them uncomfortable, especially when the other person hadnt done anything wrong. She hoped for a cooperative attitude, aiming to work together and naturally find common ground. This is an essential component, though not a mandatory one. If youre interested in discussing something else, Im certainly open to it. Xin Lan and Qin Yuyan stood face to face, amidst an abundance of flowers in the garden. However, during the summer, there were also a significant number of mosquitoes. Xin Lan waved her hand, swatting away a mosquito that was in front of her. It seems I didnt plan well. While the garden provides a secluded setting thats suitable for conversation, there are more mosquitoes here. Perhaps we should head back to the main hall. Xin Lan nodded, and they walked back along the path they had taken earlier. By the way, if youre considering signing me with StarMap, what advantages would you offer? Qin Yuyan wasnt letting herself get carried away by her unexplainable emotions, and she was still weighing her options. What kind of benefits are you interested in? Xin Lan left the decision up to Qin Yuyan, allowing her to make requests and seeing if she could fulfill them. I hope you wont take offense to me making a comparison. Please proceed. Sister Dong mentioned that if she signs me, she would handle only me. Having one-on-one management also means that all the resources acquired will be channeled toward a single individual, maintaining an unquestionable position in the managers perspective. On a personal level, Qin Yuyan wished for Xin Lan to manage her exclusively. This way, she could have all of Xin Lans focus centered on her. Im sorry, but I might not be able to do that for the time being. Xin Lan appeared regretful in her expression, yet her tone carried a definite assertion. If Shen Yun fall into someone elses hands; how could Xin Lan still have control over her? Qin Yuyan was momentarily stunned, seemingly not anticipating such a response from Xin Lan. Is my stance a bit too much? Ironically, Im the one who wanted you to join my team, Xin Lan said with a touch of self-deprecation, her gaze fixed earnestly on Qin Yuyan. But I have my own compelling reasons for this decision. However, I can promise you that if you were to come under my wing, you would undoubtedly hold the utmost importance in my heart. Qin Yuyan turned her head slightly, seemingly looking at the road as if lost in thought, but she was actually concealing her racing emotions. Undoubtedly, she would be the most important one in her heart Stop, stop Qin Yuyan fought against the urge to let her lips curl upwards. But why did Xin Lan have compelling reasons to make that choice? Is it about maintaining good relationships with her artists? Sense of responsibility? Demands from superiors? Who are you currently managing? One male and one female, Cheng Zhi and Shen Yun. Shen Yun? Ive heard of her. Qin Yuyan wasnt familiar with Cheng Zhi, but she had some knowledge of Shen Yun. Being acclaimed as one of the Four Young Actresses, she must have gained popularity through a hit TV drama. Shen Yun gained immense popularity from the urban emotional drama If Youre Well, and even though Qin Yuyan kept a low profile, she still followed industry news. You already manage Shen Yun, so why do you still want to sign me? Qin Yuyan asked with a puzzled expression, striving to disregard the discomfort in her heart. Shen Yuns potential seemed promising; with proper nurturing, even if she couldnt secure a position on the silver screen in the future, she could maintain her appeal on the small screen. Transitioning from the big screen to the small screen might be a smooth process, but moving from the small screen to the big screen often faced challenges. You have the capacity to radiate, while she is bound to fall short. Xin Lans statement was unequivocal, and she paused, meeting Qin Yuyans gaze. The discomfort that had been present in Qin Yuyans heart was immediately smoothed over, yet she reminded herself to maintain her composure outwardly. Nevertheless, when she spoke, the lightheartedness in her voice couldnt be masked. Youre quite confident in me. By saying this, arent you indirectly criticizing her? Arent you concerned I might relay this to her? Im not concerned. Having almost reached the hall, Xin Lan responded softly. Qin Yuyan tilted her head slightly, not letting Xin Lan see the smile on her face. Well, let me consider it. Why dont we exchange contact details for now? Sure, but my phone is with my assistant. And An An is waiting outside the courtyard. Evening gowns typically dont have pockets or similar features, and when Xin Lan entered, she didnt bring along a small handbag. Ill go grab mine, wait for me. Alright. Qin Yuyan headed towards her room, while Xin Lan stayed put. A passing waiter carried a tray, and she picked up a small plate of pastries. This kind of event wasnt conducive to focusing on food, and Xin Lan had no intention of doing so either. She just took a small plate of pastries to satisfy her appetite. The sound of high heels blended with the music as they drew nearer, and Xin Lan raised her head to find Dong Shuyu standing in front of her. Dong Shuyu was 37 years old, no longer young. In the realm of talent management, she was considered a senior figure. Setting aside Qin Yuyans attitude toward her, Xin Lan didnt feel particularly assured about facing Dong Shuyu. In this contrast of circumstances, even a fool would know which side to pick. Xin Lans statement was confident, yet she was simply trying her best. She would work hard to secure the best resources for Qin Yuyan, optimize her time usage, and strategically manage all aspects of her career. However, she wouldnt dedicate an excessive amount of time trying to gradually win over Qin Yuyan. From Xin Lans perspective, this wasnt necessary nor particularly effective. When an artist signs a contract, they invariably select aspects that are advantageous for them. Whats the use of playing the friendship card? Would playing the friendship card make Qin Yuyan more popular? Sister Dong. Setting down her small fork, Xin Lan picked up a napkin and gently dabbed her lips before greeting Dong Shuyu. Little Xin, its been quite a while since we last saw each other. Dong Shuyus attire didnt resemble that of a 37 year old; her red lips were alluring, and though her appearance wasnt exceptional, her aura made up for it. In this industry, those who are older are often addressed as sister, and even the more senior individuals are addressed similarly. The term little in Little Xin was a way of addressing that subtly asserted Dong Shuyus seniority over Xin Lan. Xin Lan didnt mind and offered Dong Shuyu a gentle smile. It truly has been a while. Sister Dong, your skincare routine seems to be working wonders. Theres not much difference from six months ago. Their relationship was competitive, and if Dong Shuyu intended to assert her seniority, Xin Lan wasnt going to act overly righteous; she could throw back some subtle irony. Dong Shuyu called her little, so she would respond by jestingly calling her old. Certainly, my husband compliments me on it as well. Even when work is hectic, Little Xin, dont forget to take care of yourself. Were both at this age, and even if were attractive, were just the leftover vegetables in the market. Dong Shuyu responded with a smile, seemingly composed. Both of them were well aware of each others thoughts. No need to trouble yourself about that. Just focus on taking care of Fanying. Theres no need to extend your reach too far. Im showing concern for you as well. After all, when I reach my age, there might be no one to rely on, and its easy to feel lonely, Dong Shuyu chuckled lightly and changed the topic. I saw you and Yuyan walking together earlier. It seemed like you were having a good conversation? Your observation skills are quite sharp, Sister Dong. Yuyan is a good person, and we get along well. Thats right. We all know Yuyan is great. Ive even set aside some time here, waiting for her. I heard you have a couple of talents on your hands over there. It must be quite busy. Shen Yuns been quite ambitious lately. If you were to recruit another talent, it might become overwhelming. Shen Yuns determination is quite strong. The relationship between StarMap Entertainment and Fanying Entertainment was never great, with incidents of resource competition and talent poaching happening quite frequently. As a result, the relationship between the talent managers from both companies wasnt particularly friendly. A hint of rivalry in their conversation was quite normal, especially given that Xin Lan and Dong Shuyu were currently in a competitive relationship. If they could hold a civil conversation, that would be quite a surprise. Dont tell me, Sister Dong, that its your age causing shaky hands and difficulty in balancing things. As for my hands, theyre steady. Xin Lan placed her plate onto the waiters tray and retrieved a glass of wine from it, placing it on a small table. Dong Shuyus faintly wrinkled brow showed that she was a determined individual. Verbal sparring wouldnt cut it; they needed to see concrete actions and how Qin Yuyan would decide. Dong Shuyu lifted her head and happened to spot Qin Yuyan walking over. Sister Dong. Dong Shuyu hadnt even had a chance to bask in her victorious expression with Xin Lan when she heard Qin Yuyan addressing Xin Lan and gesturing towards the phone in her hand. Ah Lan, give me your phone number. CH 72 Agent 09 As soon as the words Ah Lan were spoken, Xin Lan and Dong Shuyu both froze. The smile that had just appeared on Dong Shuyus face froze as she wondered when Qin Yuyan had become so familiar with Xin Lan. If they hadnt just met, there wouldnt have been a need to exchange contact information. But if they had just met, why use such an affectionate term? Something didnt seem right. Xin Lan was also momentarily taken aback by this somewhat familiar address. Qu Zhian had called her that before. Then came the same confusion as Dong Shuyus. She felt that she wasnt that close to Qin Yuyan, so why use such an intimate form of address? However, this wasnt a bad thing; at least it made Dong Shuyu, who had just indirectly mocked her, feel awkward for a while. Xin Lan took Qin Yuyans phone, entered the number, and handed it back to Qin Yuyan. Qin Yuyan added a contact name. She initially thought about entering Xin Lans full name but decided to use the nickname she had just used. This way, it would appear at the top of the list. Sister Dong, what were you chatting about just now? Nothing much. Its just that Xin Lan and I havent seen each other in a while, so I came over to say hello. By the way, about the matter Sister asked you last time, do you have any thoughts? Sister Dong looked at Qin Yuyan and asked with a smile. Qin Yuyan ran her fingers along the smooth edge of her phone. Dong Shuyu had spoken first, and not only did she know Qin Yuyans father, but they had also shared a couple of meals together. Yet, Qin Yuyan was aware that Xin Lan was also watching her. Everyone understood the situation, and Dong Shuyus intention was clear C she wanted Qin Yuyan to express her stance. I definitely have thoughts. Ive completed my further education this year, and its time to engage in things that interest me. However, when it comes to the people at the top, I still need to think it over. If you come under my wing, I promise you wont be treated unfairly. Ive brought rising actors and actresses into the spotlight, and I can certainly help you gain fame. Dong Shuyu said this with unwavering confidence. Her connections and experience were her assets to rely on. Having been in the industry for many years, she was well aware of various marketing strategies. Considering her age, she couldnt continue for much longer. After all, being a manager was a demanding profession. At 37, she could still keep going. However, when she reached her forties or fifties, she wouldnt have the energy for all the hustle and bustle, and she would retire. Before retiring from the industry, she truly wished to create another legend, to elevate someone to the pinnacle and make them a star in the history of film and television. Qin Yuyan was undoubtedly a promising talent. Even though she was already 24 years old, which wasnt very young, that aura of vitality was still present. This kind of vitality was difficult to define; not everyone possessed it. However, without a doubt, this kind of vitality would fade away with its consumption. As Dong Shuyu looked at Qin Yuyan, several strategies to propel her to stardom flashed through her mind. Unfortunately, at that time, Qin Yuyan had wanted to concentrate on her studies. Missing out on such a promising talent, who knows when the next opportunity like this will come. Others might also be suitable, but it would certainly require more effort and dedication. Thank you, Sister Dong, for your kind offer. I know that being under your guidance would be very beneficial. Qin Yuyan sincerely said, but it felt like something that was beyond her control. She really wanted the kind of connection she had with Xin Lan, a feeling she didnt experience with Dong Shuyu. Moreover, she isnt particularly driven by fame and fortune. If she were seeking those accolades, she would have pursued a career in the entertainment industry long ago. The smile on Dong Shuyus face faded slightly. Qin Yuyans words seemed like praise, but they carried a subtle refusal. She was a bit puzzled. From whichever angle you looked at it, she should be the best choice. The atmosphere became slightly awkward for a moment. Xin Lan didnt want to be pushy, and Qin Yuyan had already semi-indicated her stance. Moreover, she could discern that Dong Shuyu genuinely wanted to recruit Qin Yuyan; otherwise, she wouldnt have put in so much effort. Now, lets not dwell on this in the current situation. Today is my grandmothers birthday. Thank you for honoring us with your presence. Qin Yuyan raised her glass and gestured to Xin Lan and Dong Shuyu. The three of them collectively brushed aside the previous topic, pretending as if nothing had happened, engaging in casual conversation. However, this kind of chat felt somewhat awkward and forced. Dong Shuyu also understood that even if she were anxious, it wouldnt make a difference in such matters. She took the opportunity to excuse herself by raising her glass and mentioning she needed to find an acquaintance. After Sister Dong left, the atmosphere became more relaxed. Sister Dong seems quite eager to have you sign on with her. Xin Lan swirled the red wine in her glass and spoke up. Indeed, she actually reached out to me several years ago. Weve kept in touch over time. While were not very familiar, she has shown some concern for me. Qin Yuyan spoke honestly, her fingers lightly pressing against the rim of the wine glass. The cool sensation helped alleviate the heat that surged within her as she locked eyes with Xin Lan. So, why havent you accepted her offer even after all this time? Didnt you already decide to enter the entertainment industry? Xin Lan raised an eyebrow. If Dong Shuyu had harbored this intention for a long time and had been consistently pursuing it, logically speaking, Qin Yuyan should have easily leaned towards her side. Why hadnt she made a decision by now? Earlier, the excuse of being busy with academics was given, but there were also claims about having plans, right? Previously, it was because my parents wanted me to think it over. Once you sign with a company, you have to take responsibility. It cant be taken lightly. In fact, if they had their way, they wouldnt want me to choose this path. Under the lamplight, Qin Yuyans expression seemed somewhat obscure, her fingers gliding across the surface of the tall glass. Being a celebrity, youre in the spotlight, all glamorous and dazzling. But the downside is the lack of privacy. I think I enjoy acting; its quite interesting, isnt it? So, Im planning to come back. Qin Yuyan and Xin Lan raised their glasses, taking a small sip of the drink. If you choose me, would you feel like youre letting her down? There will be that feeling, but its not just me; there would be others too. Its just that I happen to Qin Yuyan paused for a moment, raising her hand slightly and gesturing upward, stand a bit higher on the ladder. Thats what she thinks, and thats what you think too, right? It all comes down to appreciation or the belief that youll become a huge star, a money-making machine, and so on. Qin Yuyan knew very well what was on their minds. In fact, the reason shes been hesitating to sign a contract all this time is because entering this industry inevitably means sacrificing some freedom and giving up certain rights that she should have had. My thoughts might be different from hers. Xin Lans lips curled into a smile, her red lips taking on a different kind of allure under the lamplight. Im not signing you on to see you as a money-making machine, nor do I aim to place you on a lofty pedestal. What I said earlier was genuine. As long as you join me, youll be the most important one in my heart. I can promise you something more than she can, which is freedom. Ill work hard to present resources before you, but my only hope is for you to progress, not regress. Even if you want to catch your breath, take a break, its all fine, no problem. As Xin Lan spoke, she gazed at Qin Yuyan, her body slightly leaning forward. Qin Yuyan could even catch a whiff of the fragrance on her, a delicate floral scent. Qin Yuyan: If I sign with you, would you neglect Shen Yun? Xin Lan: Do you know why I said she wont shine? Qin Yuyan: Because her acting isnt good? Xin Lan: No, quite the opposite. Among the current group of popular stars, her acting is considered decent. I personally polished it. Xin Lan: I ignited her success with my own hands, and Ill also be the one to extinguish it. As Xin Lan spoke, her expression turned cold, and even her gaze emitted a chilling intensity. However, Qin Yuyans heart trembled slightly because of this. A voice within her kept repeating, This is it, exactly like this. This must be the appearance of disdain, tinged with a touch of indifference C the undisputed queen. When she lifted her chin, it wasnt because she succumbed to the allure of her charm, but rather she was overwhelmed by that intense aura. When her gaze passed over you, you either existed or ceased to exist. Qin Yuyan heard her own voice resound, accompanied by a slight quiver. Do you dislike her? Yes. Xin Lan was straightforward. She wasnt afraid that Qin Yuyan would inform Shen Yun about this, because she knew Qin Yuyan wouldnt. Then why not just exile her? Just like you said earlier, if I were a CEO, I wouldnt hesitate to erase her. Given her current popularity, even if we discard her, there will be plenty of people ready to pick her up. Ive invested so many resources to promote her; there must be an outcome. The previous owner of the body had witnessed Shen Yuns rise to stardom, only to end up in such a state herself. So, she would witness Shen Yuns decline and downfall. I will help you with that. What? Xin Lan was somewhat surprised. Qin Yuyan flashed a smile, a smile that held a hint of realization and genuine interest. What I mean is, Im willing to be signed by you. You dont want to think it over a bit more? Xin Lan hadnt expected things to go so smoothly. After all, they had only met for the second time. Although she had made numerous verbal commitments, she hadnt actually provided anything tangible yet. And yet, Qin Yuyan believed her so readily. She was willing to give up Dong Shuyus offer and come to her? Youve promised me, freedom. Freedom also has its limits. Xin Lan didnt say this with too much certainty. She wasnt sure if she could grant Qin Yuyan the kind of power to dictate how things would go. Arent you afraid that I might change my mind this way? Qin Yuyan chuckled. I just dont want your expectations of me to be too high, so that any eventual disappointment might lead to resentment. Xin Lan said in a leisurely manner, taking a small sip from her glass. I believe you wont let me down. This banquet was quite worthwhile, and the conversation had been enjoyable for both host and guest. However, this agreement was only verbal for now; the details still needed to be carefully planned and confirmed at a later time. When Xin Lan emerged, An An opened the car door for her. Xin Lan sat in the car, where the air conditioning was strong, dispelling the stifling heat outside. She took out her phone from her bag, opened WeChat, and saw a friend request. After adding a note to the request, she sent an initial greeting emoji. Qin Yuyan might not have been looking at her phone, as she didnt respond. Xin Lan returned to her message list and began to go through it one by one. Shen Yun had sent her several messages. Shen Yun: Heard someone say youre going to sign Qin Yuyan? Shen Yun: It cant be true, right? Shen Yun: You have no idea how strange their looks are when they see me. I believe this isnt real. Shen Yun: Where are you? Shen Yun: Ill listen to you carefully. Xin Lan glanced at the messages. The last one was sent half an hour ago. Judging by Shen Yuns tone, she might have been provoked by Qin Yuyans presence? After a moments thought, Xin Lans fingers glided across the keyboard, typing out a response. Xin Lan: Ive lifted you up with my own hands, whats there to worry about? Shen Yun: Then are you willing to use your hands again and lift me up once more? Zero Nine: Implying something??? CH 73 Agent 10 At the beginning, Xin Lan didnt even realize what was happening. While pondering over it, suddenly Zero Nines voice echoed in her mind. And then, she had an epiphany. This kind of implication was truly too subtle, yet upon closer consideration, it seemed to make sense. So, here comes the question Xin Lan: How did you know? Her cub is actually so dirty? Zero Nine: cough cough, we otakus understand a lot! Following the first host, Zero Nine had mastered a lot of seductive knowledge. For that kind of implication, she was already so familiar that she reflexively responds when she sees it. On the other side, Shen Yun was afraid she wouldnt explain it clearly, so she quickly sent over a few messages. Shen Yun: You can control however you want, as you wish. Shen Yun: Im willing to do it. What a terrible conversation. Xin Lan found it somewhat amusing. What did Shen Yun think of her or rather, what did she think of the original host? Using her own body to retain a benefactor, is this any different from an unwritten rule? Perhaps in Shen Yuns eyes, the love between her and the original host was just this kind of transaction. The poor original host was led astray and even thought that there was a great love between them. To some extent, Shen Yun actually understood the original host. Otherwise, in the original plot, even if there was cheating and straying, she wouldnt have been able to win the person back, making them turn around like a fool. In reality, the people who engage in these actions might not necessarily be very clever, and those who are manipulated might not necessarily be very foolish; it can only be said that love blinds people. In truth, what Shen Yun said was quite elegant and clever. If one didnt know the relationship between them, if one didnt know the context, then these words could easily be seen as Shen Yun groveling to her. Xin Lan: [Smile.jpg] The WeChat smiley carries a strong sense of mockery, silently indicating Xin Lans attitude. Shen Yun: Dont change the subject for now. Are you really going to sign Qin Yuyan? Xin Lan: Yes. Shen Yun: But between her and me? Shen Yun: Why? Cant I satisfy you? Shen Yun: Youre not allowed to sign her! Shen Yun was gnawing at her fingertip with unease. She had learned this news from others discussions. Now, in her mind, there still seemed to echo that grating laughter, the persons face. She couldnt quite remember them, but their words seemed imprinted in her mind. Shen Yun, heard your manager is going to sign Qin Yuyan, huh? Why do you look so surprised? Seems like you didnt know yet? Oh well, look at me, being foolish. You must be in the dark. Do you even know who she is? Shes the daughter of Qin Tianwang and Liu Yinghou, a child star who debuted early. Shes quite beautiful too. I wonder whose acting skills between you two are better. By the way, if your manager actually signs her, you better feel some crisis, you might get squeezed out anytime. Whether it was open mockery or whispers in secret, they were conveying a fact to her: Shen Yun, youre falling out of favor. For a celebrity to lack resources, that is a truly dreadful thing. The concept of heat, if not consistently maintained, will sooner or later fade away. Shen Yun managed to maintain her facial expressions while dealing with others. After leaving the recording scene of that variety show, she immediately went online to search for all the information about Qin Yuyan. Staring at Qin Yuyans face on the screen, she wished she could bore a hole through her with her gaze. In the entertainment industry, having excellent acting skills doesnt necessarily guarantee prominence, nor does it ensure becoming popular. However, having an attractive face can definitely make you popular. And Qin Yuyan was very good-looking. Shen Yun was nearly consumed by jealousy. If Qin Yuyan were under Xin Lans wing, resources would undoubtedly pour in her direction. She was still in the rising phase of her career; she absolutely couldnt remain in obscurity like this. Shen Yun believed this was Xin Lans retaliation against her. Because she had strayed, Xin Lan harbored dissatisfaction, wanting to ignore her and make her fade into oblivion. Even the implications in that aspect couldnt change that persons mind. Xin Lans smiling face in response clearly conveyed her mocking attitude. No, this was absolutely not acceptable. She had to fight for something for herself; continuing like this would be disastrous. Xin Lan: Shen Yun, you should know that I am your manager. You dont have the right to interfere with my work, let alone dictate what I should do. Shen Yun: Cant I not sign? Shen Yun: You clearly have limited resources to offer me Xin Lan: I know what youre worried about, but rest assured, Im not the kind of person who mixes personal and professional matters. After saying this, Xin Lan found it amusing herself. She was exactly the kind of person who mixed personal and professional matters. To be precise, tormenting Shen Yun was her public duty. Afterward, no matter what Shen Yun said, Xin Lan didnt reply. She leaned back in her chair, waiting to see what Shen Yuns reaction would be. Given Shen Yuns personality, she definitely wouldnt just sit idly by. She wouldnt truly be soothed into silence. People like her were best at looking out for themselves. No matter the circumstances, they would always find new paths. A popup appeared on the phone screen. Xin Lan ignored Shen Yun and opened Qin Yuyans message. Qin Yuyan sent a heart emoji, followed by a cat GIF. Xin Lan responded with a heart emoji. Qin Yuyan: Are you home? Xin Lan: Still on the way, getting there soon. Qin Yuyan: Thats good. At this point, the conversation fell silent. Xin Lan held the phone in her hand, looking at the scenes flashing by outside. The light from the neon signs elongated, as if merging together. A new message arrived on her phone, from Yuan Xiaoyuan. It was inquiring if she had left the party. Initially, Yuan Xiaoyuan had intended to introduce Xin Lan to someone, but when she turned around, she saw that Xin Lan was already engaged in conversation, so she didnt join in to liven up the atmosphere. Yuan Xiaoyuans purpose for coming to the event was to bring Xin Lan in. Seeing that Xin Lan was already engrossed in a conversation with Qin Yuyan, she stopped worrying and at the midpoint of the event, she greeted Xin Lan, sent a message, and left. Xin Lan expressed her gratitude to her. Without her, she might have needed to go through some trouble to have someone else bring her in. Yuan Xiaoyuan: Sis, no need to be polite. Youre Orange Juices sis, which makes you mine too. If theres another opportunity to help in the future, just let me know. When Xin Lan read this message, the image of that girl appeared before her again. She thought for a moment and then sent a reply. Xin Lan: The no-dating policy is a rule of the company, but its not only aimed at someone like him whos in the rising phase. Even those big celebrities who are already established cant openly reveal their relationships. Yuan Xiaoyuan: Mhm, I understand. Xin Lan: Rules are fixed, but people are dynamic. We dont know if paparazzi are still tailing us. So, you two shouldnt meet in the near future. Ill arrange for him to join the team later. If possible, you can contact each other through phones. Whenever its convenient, Ill arrange a face-to-face meeting for you both. Yuan Xiaoyuan: Thanks, sis! Dating a celebrity is really exhausting, huh? 233333 Yuan Xiaoyuan: After this He wont be involved in any dating rumors, will he? Xin Lan: I cant guarantee that, but Ill do my best to prevent it, okay? Yuan Xiaoyuan: Okay! The car smoothly stopped in front of a building. An An softly announced they had arrived. Xin Lan picked up her bag and opened the car door. As Xin Lan used her fingerprint to unlock the door, she heard Zero Nine cursing in her mind. Xin Lan: Your mischievousness level is off the charts today. Zero Nine: Im finding it hard to suppress my inner indignation right now, so I can only use a three-part quality combo to express my anger. Zero Nine: Shen Yun has posted on Weibo. Host, you might want to take a look. Xin Lan closed the door, picked up her phone, and opened Weibo. Shen Yuns Weibo post was very simple, without even an accompanying image, just a crying emoji. @ShenYunYunYun: Things have changed, people have changed. [Crying] Xin Lan let out a derisive snort. This person even knew the phrase things have changed, people have changed? She wondered how thick-skinned someone could be, thicker than the foundation on her face. Never realizing their own mistakes, they held onto the logic of I cheated, I apologized, so you must forgive me, and still had the audacity to sigh about how things have changed, people have changed. Shen Yuns fans, critics, and bystanders sparked controversy in the comments due to those four words. Fans believed that Shen Yun must have experienced something profound or distressing. Critics thought she was being melodramatic, while bystanders speculated it might be related to something trivial like a plastic surgery mishap. Xin Lan glanced at the comments and then exited the page. Zero Nine: At the same time, I also noticed that she posted something on her third account. Xin Lan: Third account? Zero Nine: Yes, its a string of numbers as the ID, and the default profile picture is unchanged. Thats where she vents her feelings and curses, especially targeting you. The language she used was particularly harsh. It got me so angry that I immediately left a reply on her main account. Zero Nine: After posting that Weibo on her third account, she switched back to her first account and started arguing with the critics under the post. I launched an attack on them in retaliation. Zero Nine: Hmph, shameless. Zero Nines anger stemmed from Shen Yun, this scumbag, using an alternate account to post on Weibo and insult Xin Lan. She was just flirting earlier, and when her implication failed, she turned hostile. Hmph, with her character, her host wouldnt even be interested in sleeping with her! Xin Lan clicked on the account login section, trying to switch to Shen Yuns Weibo account, only to find that she couldnt log in. As expected. Xin Lan: Give me Shen Yuns Weibo password. With Zero Nine here, what was there to fear about not being able to log in? Zero Nine immediately entered a string of passwords, and Xin Lan successfully logged in. Once she was in, she changed the password. At this moment, Shen Yun was furious to the point of feeling physical discomfort. Her mood had taken a turn for the worse, and there was still a group of people criticizing her in the comments under her Weibo post. Those losers were so annoying, always finding reasons to criticize her. In normal circumstances, maintaining ones image was crucial. Creating an alternate account allowed one to do as they pleased in the online world, venting all the frustration pent up inside. However, for some reason, whenever she left comments recently, there was always one user ID targeting her, consistently mocking her. @09OtakuIsUnstoppable: Replying to @ShenYunIsAGoddess, you say all you simps, what good will come from groveling to the end? Its fine to grovel for Shen Yun, given shes a beautiful manager. But why grovel for Shen Yun herself? Upon seeing the latest reply, Shen Yun pressed her temple. This person was clearly deranged! Shen Yun tried to log into her main account, only to find that she couldnt access it. She quickly messaged Xin Lan, asking if she had changed the password. Xin Lan: The company has the right to manage it on your behalf. Shen Yun felt even more annoyed. She returned to her alternate account to continue confronting the person who was praising Xin Lan while insulting her. She clicked on that persons profile, and the first thing that caught her eye was a nauseating Weibo post. @09OtakuIsUnstoppable: Xing Lan the Great Demon King is so good-looking! Ahhh, her looks far surpass the pretty Shen Yun shes managing. If she were to debut, what would be left for Shen Yun to do? Disgusting, simping.